Balenciaga Haute Couture F/W 2022.23 Paris

[Ivancica]

I don't get it - is this last walk (wedding gown) like that on purpose or what?

 

[MagFan]

I think this was done on purpose. For sure because they would have cancelled it after the rehearsal, no ? It's probably nod to historical references about hoops and how they made women's lives so difficult but still was a big trend nonetheless back then.

No need of overthinking. They simply have no experience of wearing hoop skirts or construction was not that good

 

[Deleted member 7575]

The celebrity studded cast will ensure the collection goes viral and hits critical mass. It was a success well before a single order was placed.

I'm less impressed by the clothes.

I think we are so used to Demna's anti-fashion that when we see him do something classic and, well, Balenciaga-like, we mistake it for quality. Those tweed dresses in the beginning were more banal than anything Virginie has done for Chanel. Don't be fooled by the prosthetic shoulders. The best looks, in my opinion, were the more on-the-nose references to archival Balenciaga but he gets no praise for doing the obvious. I did like the coats which I think in general are Demna's strength.

Balenciaga was a master modernist sculptor, an engineer who could render elegant and exciting new forms through his disciplined craft. That sense of wizardry and transcendence is the essence of the house and it is totally missing. I believe Demna has it in him, but instead we're just getting very low hanging fruit. And some of that fruit is rotten.

And I do not think the constant snagging and backtracking of the wedding dress was on purpose. That looked like a genuine struggle. The audience has their heads so far up Demna's *** they'll see it and call him a genius.

HATED those gowns. Despite the absurd volumes, they looked flat and cheap. Poor Naomi, I suppose if anyone can work a Project Runway trash bag challenge, it's her.

 

[aracic]

The coats are undoubtedly the highlight, as usual. The shoes are hideous, as usual. I couldn't find the pictures anywhere so I took the time to watch the video and I wasn't too thrilled. Nothing new, nothing particularly interesting. Seeing those poor models struggle with their hoop skirts gave me second hand embarrassment, but I guess that's what you get when you hire the weirdest looking models with the worst walk you've ever seen in the history of runway. Just look at Naomi, graciously walking through the doors without ever even looking down, she just breezes through. You don't see the struggle on her face or her walk. And that's a professional.

Those rubber garments in the beginning also looked highly uncomfortable and it showed on the models. They really take away from the experience of the show with their inexperience. Watching their clumsy walks is so distracting.

Loved the gown on Bella, until she turned the corner.

 

[gallianostan]

Seeing those poor models struggle with their hoop skirts gave me second hand embarrassment, but I guess that's what you get when you hire the weirdest looking models with the worst walk you've ever seen in the history of runway. Just look at Naomi, graciously walking through the doors without ever even looking down, she just breezes through. You don't see the struggle on her face or her walk. And that's a professional.

my thoughts exactly.

 

[perhydrol]

This show was such an overkill, I don't even know what to do with it now. The cast did not make any sense in the context of the house, the opening part felt completely irrelevant and the closing gowns were uncomfortable to look at. I must say, I liked the tweed pieces and some of the coats, but unfortunately their impact got completely lost because of the denim overload and weird quasi-streetwear looks. The last year's show felt much stronger and actually that one felt interesting. This one is just a marketing tool to push their "couture" boutique.

 

[Lola701]

I think I like it.
I think I like the formality of it. And that’s probably the only thing for me that makes Demna’s Couture worthy. In terms of pure clothes, it’s literally the same thing in RTW even if there’s more emphasis on the silhouette here. But at Balenciaga under Demna, Couture is an attitude: no more agressive walk or claustrophobic space.

I think this collection in a way has a bit of everything. There’s Balenciaga by Nicolas in this, there’s Cristobal and there’s Demna. The flow of the collection is particularly good. The models and their awkwardness makes the clothes more interesting than they are actually.

Because after all, this is the paradox about Demna’s Balenciaga. It’s not particularly new or exciting for me in terms of clothes but all the exterior factors are what makes it a thing!

The cast was cute but I wish maybe they interacted more with the audience. When you have so much intimacy, you want to see them turn, show the pieces a bit like in the 90’s Gaultier shows.

About the celebrities, I wish their looks weren’t that predictable.

 

[Kimihiro]

This show was such an overkill, I don't even know what to do with it now. The cast did not make any sense in the context of the house, the opening part felt completely irrelevant and the closing gowns were uncomfortable to look at. I must say, I liked the tweed pieces and some of the coats, but unfortunately their impact got completely lost because of the denim overload and weird quasi-streetwear looks. The last year's show felt much stronger and actually that one felt interesting. This one is just a marketing tool to push their "couture" boutique.

Same. I really got the sense that these were made for that “couture” boutique. Which somehow nice because those coats are TDF! The denim could burn. Sprinkling gimmicks along with the merchandise makes an okay show.

 

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[Deleted member 7575]

I don’t like the majority of this. I only liked Julia Nobis’ look because she knew what to do with it.

The last few looks made me uncomfortable. In fact the casting overall did because so few knew how to navigate the clothes and runway it made me feel embarrassed for them and for myself for watching it. Time and time again Demna pits these models in garments that they can not walk in and as a viewer it makes me feel infuriated. I’m barely able to sit through the show because of the repetitious bore BUT now the models can’t even walk in the clothes you’re trying to make me like? Pull it together Demna.

This just feels like an angry collection. I wonder if Demna even cares at this point whatsoever. I’m even surprised he continued with couture considering his past tweets about it. It even isn’t a creative anger, it’s just angry for the sake of angry because in an industry that favours him, he’s still seemingly unable to find his “way” with it. It could be all about a comment, but execute it better because this feels pretty piss poor.

Expand your vocabulary, diversify your narrow minded creative team and pull your head out of your f*cking ***. Good day.

Amen

 

[THD96]

I like this collection even if there are a lot of things that annoy me, I still enjoy this collection even if it doesn't have the same impact as the previous one.

Like the previous collection, he could do some heavy editing, and leave out some repetitive silhouettes this collection could even be better.
I hate the denim looks, I don't care if it is the best denim in the market, those looks are mediocre and drag down the collection.
The masks at the beginning are just gimmicky and unnecessary.
I don't care for the cast, they are just a stunt made purely for IG.

I like the latex looks, especially the latex coat of look 8. It's good even if latex is kinda cliché coming from him.
The tailoring on men is the best part of the show, they are so good. All the hourglass jackets are perfection. Also obsessed with the way he manipulated the fabrics of the t-shirts of look 17,18 and 19 to make the shape like that.
I find the coats in the womenswear are more desirable than the evening gowns section, they look good but he is playing it safe with the silhouettes. But I like Julia's look, and the clock jewelry is really good.
His take on the classic Cristobal silhouettes is lovely like look 44, even if it is more like a reissue with much interpretation.

But I'm indifferent about the volume gowns, I can take them or leave them. They're big for drama, but the execution leaves room for much improvement.

Overall, it's a solid collection. As his RTW is irrelevant to me now, as least he put effort into his couture.

 

[susseinmcswanny]

Also wondering... wtf is a couture store? (yes i know lol but besides marketing strategy) This raised a lot of questions in my head. Isn't "couture" having all of your measurements taken and have something made start to finish by the atelier from scratch? For YOU? The store sounds like overpriced RTW...? Unless maybe the clothes are made in the ateliers vs the regular factories? But most of the special RTW and bags etc are basically already made by hand. Why spend so much money on this RTW when you can buy haute couture? Same question can be asked at Chanel I guess. One article says "eyewear would be priced around 3,500 euros, handbags between 10,000 and 15,000 euros, with the most expensive product topping out at around 100,000 euros" Those sunglasses better not be the regular kering eyewear lol.

 

[velvetandsilk]

Also wondering... wtf is a couture store? (yes i know lol but besides marketing strategy) This raised a lot of questions in my head. Isn't "couture" having all of your measurements taken and have something made start to finish by the atelier from scratch? For YOU? The store sounds like overpriced RTW...?

Yes, it is a handmade RTW. There are strict rules to follow to create HC clothes. Couture in French means handmade clothes, but without certain rules, for example, in Italy, bags can be made. IMO, they will have to create loyal customers. They probably have too many young customers who don't understand HC clothes. They will try to encourage a Couture shop customer to buy HC.

 

[GivenchyAddict]

I love everything about the subtle excess, the perversion of the HC and so on. Demna is great for Couture as he knows to do a show and he has the skills.

I love someone with such a controversial POV to have access to Couture.

 

[FiveEasyPieces]

Watching the models wearing the comically oversized-ball gowns trying to elegantly pass through the narrow doorways was akin to watching a satire of the fashion industry, like something out of Zoolander or a Ruben Östlund film, but maybe that was intentional.

 

[liberty33r1b]

I GASPED so hard seeing Christine Quinn modeling omfg.

Also does anyone know who that lucky b*tch is in the audience that ordered the orange look from last season?

I believe that’s her: Headline news: Eva Dichand on art, collecting and newspapers | Christie's

 

[CholoChic]

It is very interesting and dramatic.

 

[aracic]

God, those coats with raised collars are spectacular. And the mens silhouettes photograph beautifully! Even the gown 58 looks stunning on a photograph. Some great editorial work could be done with this collection and proper styling. It's a shame they don't invest more in the campaigns for the brand.

 

[jeanclaude]

Demna, you are at Balenciaga (B-A-L-E-N-C-I-A-G-A)!! Your are not at Margiela anymore, stop pretending being Martin; and showing an "artisanal" collection. It is ridiculous.

After that I cannot understand why the obvious references from Chanel and Gaultier at a Balenciaga H.C. collection. And when he resorts to Cristóbal archives, he crashes: look number 44 looks like a pink inflatable shark.

The big gowns at the end are like UFOs (except the one worn by Naomi, which is literally a huge plastic garbage bag).
And the Nicole Kidman dress...guy, you spend so much money to hire her for your show..and you dress her like a sandwich wrapped in tin foil??

It is obvious (once again) that celebrities are everything in this collection. Remove them...and there is nothing to remember here.
And Kim Kardashian...at Balenciaga HC...it´s like going to Maxim´s to just order a big greasy hamburguer!!