Balenciaga F/W 07.08 Paris

[Faith Akiyama]

Continued:





Catwalking

 

[J'ador-DioR]

Gorgeous

 

[Faith Akiyama]

Catwalking

 

[Faith Akiyama]

Last set:



Catwalking

The more I look at this, the more I love it. The style is no doubt a deviation from his past two seasons, but he has kept those details in the suit jackets, the leggings...but simultaneously, a much braver approach to color

 

[Caffeine]

I must spread more reputation blahblah..
but you are right on!

I HATE the styling. But whenI look at it carefully, there are pieces that are very Ghesquire. I don't think that he needs to do whatever Balenciaga did. It's part of the history...if you can learn something from it, great, otherwise, move on.

I'm slightly surprised at how strong of a link this has with last season's collection. I had been trying to get into his head and was surprised by this. My only complaint is that this presentation is overtly commericial, similar to last season in that regard. You can see all the accessory and product placement dripping from the model's bodies.

But beyond that, this is pure Nicholas Ghesquire. For those that say this isn't Balenciaga, what is? Have you seen the collections Nicholas Ghesquire had done for the house (excluding SS 06 and AW 06-07)? This is a return to form, this is what he had been doing for years, maybe with a braver use of color.

He's employing the repetoire of techniques he's developed over the years, the painfully oranate draping, pathworks of prints and textures, and otherworldly tailoring. This is nothing new for Ghesquire. Although I was expected to be dazzled, I must say this is a well done collection with lots of covetable garments. But one has to wonder how in tune these muddy and overstyled looks are with the world when you have Simons over at Jil Sander who's essentially suggesting the opposite.

 

[Caffeine]

Thanks for the HQ pics! The collection is really growing on me. He is doing what he is good at - skinny pants, JACKETS, and dresses. And it is indeed a very commercial collection and I see people place many orders in the trunk show...unlike what happened months ago for the SS07 collection

 

[Afreekan]

This Is Gross!!!!
Nicloas Has Dissapointed Me Twice In A Row!!!

 

[youarearockstar]

I feel as if I'm in the minority here, but I actually really love this collection. Then again I wasn't a fan of SS07, so maybe that's why. Its definitely not expected Balenciaga, but it is most definitely Ghesquire, which I think is important now. We've seen the throw back collections that really paid tribute to what Cristobal Balenciaga started, and I really believe its time to move forward for Ghesquire.

I agree that all of the looks are heavily stylized, and one must be able to differentiate pieces from looks, in order to get a true sense of what's being done. However, for me, the looks in general work. Thanks in part to the color pallette and how its being used. The neutral colors (beige, black, cream, olive, stone and khaki) are always being balanced with an exciting pop of color. Be it the purple and pink blazers, pops of red scarfs, those neon aqua tights. I really think that everything is balanced well in this collection. Granted the jackets can be a little heavy looking, to say the least, and I absolutely hate the tweed ones, I still think that overall its a hugely successful collection for me.

 

[sarah13]

Many W/F 2007 collections are making use of color. This one expecially.

 

[stilettogirl84]

This is not what I want from Balenciaga where are the archirectural shapes? Asome cuts and a general 'cool'?

I completely agree. I'm really disappointed by this collection- as many others have said, it just isn't balenciaga. it's too colorful, and the focus on colors and prints has taken away from what he usually does amazingly- Shape.

 

[Caffeine]

Many W/F 2007 collections are making use of color. This one expecially.

I actually see the evolution - he has used those prime colors especially blue and pink in the commercial collections for SS07. The boutique in NYC is actually organized by color themes right now.

I hate the blue leggings though

 

[cosmicangel]

i luv it .. amazing collection if you look at each piece separately & i luv the fact that it's not an entirely black/grey collection as most of the other fall 07/08 collections.
Go Ghesquire

 

[Caffeine]

I completely agree. I'm really disappointed by this collection- as many others have said, it just isn't balenciaga. it's too colorful, and the focus on colors and prints has taken away from what he usually does amazingly- Shape.

to me it's actually reflecting what he did for SS03 in some degree...only with more precision (and some Gucci crap). I've collected a few pieces from the SS03 collection, and now I see the 07 version and I get really excited.

 

[kimair]

I'm slightly surprised at how strong of a link this has with last season's collection. I had been trying to get into his head and was surprised by this. My only complaint is that this presentation is overtly commericial, similar to last season in that regard. You can see all the accessory and product placement dripping from the model's bodies.

But beyond that, this is pure Nicholas Ghesquire. For those that say this isn't Balenciaga, what is? Have you seen the collections Nicholas Ghesquire had done for the house (excluding SS 06 and AW 06-07)? This is a return to form, this is what he had been doing for years, maybe with a braver use of color.

He's employing the repetoire of techniques he's developed over the years, the painfully oranate draping, pathworks of prints and textures, and otherworldly tailoring. This is nothing new for Ghesquire. Although I was expected to be dazzled, I must say this is a well done collection with lots of covetable garments. But one has to wonder how in tune these muddy and overstyled looks are with the world when you have Simons over at Jil Sander who's essentially suggesting the opposite.

karma...
the problem with the collection is the styling, but if you take the pieces apart and really strip it down, it's a very wearable collection...
call it "the galliano effect"...

i also really liked pre-fall, and i see the definite connection here, and the connection to s/s...

 

[Pastry]

I am completely clueless on what he is doing.

I think it's obvious...Taleneted designers selling out seems to be somewhat of a trend lately..
..the wacky styling, and the lame logo placement spells "mass appeal"..really, it's all there for the tabloid-reader crowd to say, "Omg, that's SO different!"..gosh i shudder when i hear that word. This is exactly what the "crowd" thinks Balenciaga is. Way to go Ghesquiere, thanks for letting them win.

If you're going to go with the idea of an "international woman", a hodge podge of references: tribal, nomadic, British, blah, blah, blah..then you might as well put some mystery into the mix. I think last season's Prada handled the theme in a much better way.

Bleh, Im not denying it..I'm bitter, and I am not forgetting this one.

 

[Whitelinen]

I'm slightly surprised at how strong of a link this has with last season's collection. I had been trying to get into his head and was surprised by this. My only complaint is that this presentation is overtly commericial, similar to last season in that regard. You can see all the accessory and product placement dripping from the model's bodies.

But beyond that, this is pure Nicholas Ghesquire. For those that say this isn't Balenciaga, what is? Have you seen the collections Nicholas Ghesquire had done for the house (excluding SS 06 and AW 06-07)? This is a return to form, this is what he had been doing for years, maybe with a braver use of color.

He's employing the repetoire of techniques he's developed over the years, the painfully oranate draping, pathworks of prints and textures, and otherworldly tailoring. This is nothing new for Ghesquire. Although I was expected to be dazzled, I must say this is a well done collection with lots of covetable garments. But one has to wonder how in tune these muddy and overstyled looks are with the world when you have Simons over at Jil Sander who's essentially suggesting the opposite.

First of all, Ghesquière isn't synonymous with Balenciaga. I don't think even he would have the right to use Balenciaga's name. But what I do know is that this really isn't what Cristóbal Balenciaga used to do.

Secondly, some of us don't like Ghesquière's work at all, and have never liked. Surely it might be pure Nicolas Ghesquière, but still that won't change the fact I don't like Ghesquière. Ghesquière, at his purest or not, has not yet to proved to be stunning to me.

 

[sarah13]

I actually see the evolution - he has used those prime colors especially blue and pink in the commercial collections for SS07. The boutique in NYC is actually organized by color themes right now.

I hate the blue leggings though

Good point. I would love to see the boutique right now. I love color, although a don't make great use of it in my daily wardrobe. I am inspired to do more. Although I agree the blue leggings are terrible. Too Jane Fonda 1988 workout video.

 

[fashunviktim]

REview from internet FWD


Balenciaga: Gets Down With Goan Futurism

Godfrey Deeny
February 27th, 2007 @ 00:50 AM


If you want to know how hipsters will be dressing next fall then check out the thrilling, global traveler, posh Goan meets Japanese privately educated school gal Balenciaga collection presented Tuesday morning in Paris.

Balenciaga's creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere is such an influential designer; professional copyists have probably already been emailed images of his striking fall 2007 collection to rip him off. If there's any "dictator" in fashion it is Ghesquiere, whose shows set the style agenda globally. No wonder his communications staff restrict access to less than 200 to his morning show, making it the hottest ticket in fashion.

"It's a journey, not a trip, where you need sportswear, Balenciaga sportswear," smiled Ghesquiere backstage, explaining the craftily eclectic and thoroughly attractive selection of clothes he showed in a newly darkened show space on rue de Cassette in St Germain.

Tie-dyed posh hippie dresses opened the show, though cut in diagonal panels and finished with trims of gold and silver tassels they were unlike anything this peripatetic critic ever noticed in Anjuna market.

One of Ghesquiere's greatest tricks in pulling disparate elements into savvy new wholes: he used UK worsted fabrics, the sort the Queen buys for her own regiments, but in dramatic purples or yellow stripes and then cut the material into posh teenage college jackets and fracks, finishing them with beautiful hand-painted buttons. The results, always surprising and eye catching, looked fantastic on an excellent casting of the hippest catwalkers in Paris – Gemma, Raquel, Natasha, Lara and the hot new gal of the moment, Catherine McNeill.

Half his opening looks were paired with jodhpurs, cut in khaki or battered gray and finished with Asia graphic lettering, and then worn with some remarkable boots. Part articulated science fiction warrior wear, part ski boot accessory, they all looked fantastic and, happily for the house, hard to copy. Other standouts included multi-colored bouclé wool and miniature mirror boleros, multi-stripe trimmed sweat pants and even a charmingly absurd all black dhoti or two, paired with a now "classic" curvy Balenciaga shearling bomber.

Booming off with Led Zeppelin's classic "Immigrant's Song," the gals prowled down the catwalk before an eclectic audience – everyone from Asia babe actress Maggie Cheung to New York Times mega editor Bill Keller. Like the clothes themselves, the crowd was eclectically charming, and nicely unexpected.

 

[pucci_mama]

I see that the color resembles some of his earlier work, but he never used to be that over the top, he always did it with refinment, it was new and cool then.. now.. it just looks like DSquared.

 

[Caffeine]

Cathy Horyn's review on her blog
(nytimes.com)

After the haute finesse and futurism of the last two seasons, Balenciaga this morning was like a rumble in the streets. Nicolas Ghesquiere’s fall look is a close-fitting preppy or British school blazer, in a solid or with a band of color around the edge, and slim, low-riding cargo pants. The other key look is a loose-fitting chemise done in a mélange of prints and fabrics, including velvet and silk, with metallic fringe sometimes worked into the patchwork. Stiletto sandals were made of plastic components in primary colors that resembled athletic shoes, even elements of snowboard bindings. The overall impression was cool and young. It certainly recalls the street energy of Ghesquiere’s early Balenciaga collections, yet it falls short of the design direction we expect from him.