Balenciaga F/W 12.13 Paris

[Tentacl Ventricl]

A new venue away from Hotel Crillon's gilded salon and if Chanel HC SS12's venue was a plane this felt a little like the airport.

It's merely a question of how long it takes you to come round to Balenciaga collections. Because whether it takes 6 seconds or 6 seasons come round to them you will. One way or another. Resistance is futile. Just choose your speed.

I will come back but first impressions in motion. Phase 1 - eye drawn to upper thigh. play of hiding and showing. stocking tops but not. Baudrillard. Phase 2 - bloated 'away from the body' muscle silhouettes. mid century Cristobal @ sacque back and dolman on the 7/8th. boxy but later pinched waisted. Phase 3 - samurai. shine. rampant 80's - sports, animals, speed.
Beholder requires cage for own protection. Wearer ultimately a pumped and dangerous creature of seduction.

edit - in fact the sleeves are more 9/8ths. So for all the hard full surfaces there is some slouch present cutting back.

 

[Thefrenchy]

When I put it in perspective, I really don't like that neon/sci-fi woman Ghesquière has been obsessed with for some seasons now. Balenciaga stopped to be appealing to me after Fall 2009... His woman used to have a certain elegance with a modern edge. Now the only thing left is that modern edge. She looks frumpy and seems to be the kind of girl who would spend her time listening to 80s songs after watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind for the fiftieth time.

Excluding three jackets and a coat, everything is horribly cut. It looks like the girls borrowed clothes from their aunt who used to be a stripper in the 80s, and grabbed a couple of garbage bags that they turned into pants.

As a whole, that collection is forgettable -- with the exception of those bands (movies?) sweaters, that I'm sure will do well in stores and in magazines.

 

[lemeray]

I don't think we can call this Futurism anymore...most of the designers have caught up with this style...overall I'm kind of disappointed with this collection...doesn't pack enough 'punch'...

 

[thejarc]

Well, if this was any other designer I would simply label it as ugly, not interesting and move on. But this is Balenciaga, seeing what this guy did 5 years ago this is just sad. The colors look dated, the prints are absoluteley hideous and dont get me started on the styling. We all know this guy has talent and while I was able to see previous collections as 'risk-taking' this is just plain ugly. Worst thing is probably that everyone's going to praise it just because its Ghesquire. Any small designer in Paris would go bankcrupt after a collection like this.

 

[Mrs.T]

What a boring collection... Really almost fell asleep.

 

[lightblue]

i dont know but i actually like this.
haven't liked Balenciaga for such a long time.

 

[Tentacl Ventricl]

The more I look at the second half of the collection, the more sporty it becomes. I'm looking forward to studying those sweatshirt prints more closely. On one a pyramid and a unicorn? To think straight 80's here may not be the whole of the story.

 

[liberty33r1b]

those pants I wouldn't even call them futuristic, they're just plain ugly

 

[Pradable]

Are you kidding me?
This collection looks really, really Cheap

 

[mistress_f]

i HATE the lame'-metallic stuff, too literally 80s and trash for it's own sake, as well as the faux metal tshirt prints, but the coats, jackets and skirts are to die for. so im split about this.

 

[Pradable]

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Couple of great coats, but otherwise incredibly ugly!

 

[Fianna]

Some pieces looks great, but all other outfits for me isn't very exciting. I expected more than just sweaters, they are just Givenchy 2011 F/W bad copies.

 

[Machinegumm]

I can't even like this ironically.
Some of the coats are nice, tho.

 

[dajrekshn]

Some pieces looks great, but all other outfits for me isn't very exciting. I expected more than just sweaters, they are just Givenchy 2011 F/W bad copies.

indeed, some of the sweaters do look like copy-pasted. i do like those transparent dresses tbh, the only thing that really disappointed me are those shoes. i don't ever want for balenciaga to remind me of the most sought after shoe from isabel marant. collection is safe, but i wouldn't call it a fail at all.

 

[Donatello89]

oh yesss great ! as ever, he designed this collection with a scalpel; each outline is sooo well done !! I love his precision. great work, colors are also really good

 

[TheItGirl]

What an odd situation - this looks like a sequel to the spring collection (which is one of my favorites from Nicholas) but somehow I find myself hating this. Most clothes look like they've been picked out at a random second-hand shop in my hometown. However, some outwear pieces are stunning, classic Balenciaga - very sculptural and original.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

So this is the mess Ghesquire has dug himself into once all his talented assistants, Bouchra Jarrar, Sebastian Peigne, and Alistair Carr leave and move on.

 

[RedandNavy]

Unflattering, and sometimes even cheap and tacky looking. Nothing new about the sillhouettes and those coats and some of the later looks are totally amusement park. I guess I'm just not a Balenciaga girl.

 

[LolaSvelt]

He just doesn't try any more, does he?