Balenciaga Mens S/S 08 Paris

[ilaughead]

Men.Style.com

 

[ilaughead]

Men.Style.com

 

[ilaughead]

A typically concise menswear collection from Balenciaga was also typically odd. Though there were distinctly classic elements (a striped shirt that would do any bourse boy proud), the overriding impression was of a design ethos that values wayward escapism. North Africa, for example, has been a longtime mecca for Euro-bohos, and it made its presence felt here in colors of sand and saffron, a leather jacket detailed like a Moroccan pouf, a worn cotton hippie shirt, or shorts that had a jodhpurlike flare. Suede carryalls drew on the color palette of Claudio Bravo, a Chilean artist whose love affair with Morocco was one of the collection's inspirations. An Indiana Jones hat and gladiator sandals (on loan from the women’s division) compounded the curiousness. The label's T-shirt range, which is usually a thing of obtuse wonder, this time drew on the patterns of the balls used in team sports—rugby, soccer, and basketball—or jungle and underwater motifs from the women's spring 2003 collection. Evening jackets referenced couture materials, but they were paired with silk boxer shorts, the idea being formality up top, very little down below. Quite why this should present itself as a viable proposal (even accepting that we're being warned to expect ever-hotter summers) was a mystery. Perhaps as a reminder that there are more important things in life than pants?
— Tim Blanks

Men.Style.com

 

[Caffeine]

oh no
why do they have to make men's legs look so short?

 

[ilaughead]

^Agreed. None of the pants (or lack thereof) are very flattering choices...

 

[lemeray]

I love the coats and blazers.

 

[MJCouture]

As usual, the coats and jackets are decent, and the pants aboslutely unacceptable. He (Ghesquire does do the men's, right?)cold do so much more with menswear than he does, its a shame.

 

[masquerade]

omg mens version of the women's f/w 07-08 runway shoes? so wrong

style

 

[youarearockstar]

^Yah, well the camel colored ones are lovely! I would rock those any day of the week...

 

[ilaughead]

^I want to see a close-up of them before making an opinion. They could be pretty cool!

 

[ETROsexualJ]

How did the Etro boxer shorts sneak in there?

 

[LostInNJ]

Overall I really like it...I don't really care for the shorts, however.

 

[markie]

um....

I like the glasses.

 

[kiddokiddo]

omg...I think I'm in love with those sandal boots, must seek closeup shot

 

[Ceptuouse]

ugly models

The clothes seem quite nice, but not all of it
the black coats are very nice!
but some of the shorts look like underwear

 

[BerlinRocks]

but some of the shorts look like underwear

totaly!!! this is ugly!!! Could you imagine you on the streets wearing your silk underwear with a blazer and socks in your sandals??? that would be the look of summer (if we follow big trends from two big "innovative / avant-garde my ***" labels)... insane!
But i like most of it... eventhough the blazer/short option is pretty conservative imo...
but the shoes are not for me!!! and I say NO to the leather trench in Summer... do you want me to die under this warm thing??? are you nuts or what?

this collection is anyway really based on the womenswear... after the Prada couple, here is the Balenciaga couple...which is coherent in a way...

 

[mackos]

oh, the shoes are really taken from women's division

but still I really like the collection

 

[Milho]

the sandals on women are fierce, but on men, awkward.

 

[urd]

I actually like the shoes, they look a lot like Chanel resort 2008, but I prefer the Balenciaga version.

style.com

 

[Royal-Galliano]

id really like to spank the photographer!

i must say i kinda like it! hate the combination of long trousers + sandal boots and the last look in the 1st post though.