BALENCIAGA: THE THEATER OF FASHION

Balenciaga’s show was the highlight of Paris Women’s Fashion Week.

Conceived by the mind of Demna Gvasalia, the maison’s creative director, who delivered something totally unexpected.

An event within the event, which broke down the separation between the invited audience and the models. The show was divided into two surprises, as mentioned in the invite: the evening screening and a red carpet party.

After having crossed the entrance of the Chatelet Theater in Paris, we sat down on our chair, and watched on a giant cinema screen the live broadcast of the arrivals of the guests, while in the hall the first look made his appearance: a gigantic ball gown, made of a pleated fan.

To the amazement of this first surprise, the other looks followed one after another. Black as common trait, with some accent of bright white, or pastel colors, or sky blue, and fuchsia.

The jackets are hyper-oversized, the pants have huge volumes, the denims are cut or ripped, exposing part of the models’ body. Dresses are overlaid, evening dresses are composed and memorable, like for example the huge long dress of black sequins.

all images Β© courtesy of Balenciaga

When the models completed the show they sat down in the audience, the lights have been turned off and a surprising screening started.

An episode of The Simpsons specially created for the event! For Marge’s birthday, Homer gives her the Balenciaga dress she has long dreamed of. But she finds out that it costs 19 thousand dollars, she tells him to return it. Homer sadly writes a letter to the Maison, and the letter is intercepted by Demna. Struck by his sadness and by the life of the Springfield family, he invites all Springfield’s citizens to Paris to parade for him. A triumphal fashion show of all the characters follows with the iconic dresses created by Demna.

When the lights came back on, the audience cheered enthusiastically.

We have witnessed the triumph of fashion reaffirming its true identity of social meaning. Everything can start again, Β but we have to taking distance from the past and think about a future that will only be seen by living.