Balenciaga Reintroducing Haute Couture | Page 2 | the Fashion Spot
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Balenciaga Reintroducing Haute Couture

Both Demna and Nicolas annoy me with every new collection they offer; there’s a smugness in their I-know-it's-ugly-but-I-know people-will-still-kill-for-it-cuz-I-designed-it that comes across from both that I find just so insufferable-- more so than the majority finding Maria Grazia or Virgil annoying. Those two are basics and what they’re doing now is the best that they’ve got, while Nicolas and Demna are very talented— and in Nicolas’ case, maybe even visionary. And for them to continue with their ironic, so-ugly-it’s-suppose-to-be-cool designs is verging on offensive and insulting.

Now that his Vuitton is always predictably extreme-maximalism and so overwrought, it would be so refreshing to see his couture as severe minimalism, and all about studied and restrained, disciplined lightness of being. He’s undeniably still a strong and unique designer with such a sharp focus, even if I’m not into his Vuitton. So couture from him (and Demna) would be something worthy to see (and I’m sure for some (Lola..???), worthy to experience.
 
So couture from him (and Demna) would be something worthy to see (and I’m sure for some (Lola..???), worthy to experience.
Haha! I’m far from being able to experience Couture! Even the most amazing pieces I’ve got from Nicolas’s time at Balenciaga (SS2008), I got them later at a great vintage dealer.

But I think someone who is so into fabrics like Nicolas could totally enjoy himself with Couture. And Couture is really another allure (more formal) and somehow a more conservative world. In his Balenciaga collections, sometimes, the Allure was more Couture than maybe the craftmanship: FW 2005 is a perfect example. You had that evolution from daywear to eveningwear, the tailoring to the flou and a very classic (buy not conventional) look. Of course he did some grandiose stuff after!

The thing about Demna is that Balenciaga is on fire now! If he does proper Couture and not the stuff all the Kering houses are doing (glorified Redcarpet stuff), it could work. Some Couture clients are so tacky in their « Chanel, Dior » that I wouldn’t mind having fun seeing them in Balenciaga by Demna.
 
Nicolas about haute couture in 2013:
What, if anything, is haute couture today?
I myself have never really done it, so I’m not sure if I’m in a position to speak about it. There are very precise rules. They tell us, for example, that it has to be entirely handmade. What interests me is the combination of industry and handcraft; some things are simply done better by a machine. Should it even be called couture? Perhaps a category of extremely luxurious ready-to-wear would enable lifting the six-piece quota, only six copies are allowed internationally. Today, unfortunately it doesn’t make sense. It’s very nostalgic, always honoring its past. I really like Raf Simons and I am happy that he expresses himself through couture. He’ll surely propel things with his modernist vision. Paradoxically, I think John Galliano shook up couture when you think of his techno-futurist moments at Dior. It was rather arrogant and crazy. I would really like it if we invented a new term for a new type of collection that applied the rigor of couture and could also be highly technological. It would be very expensive and exclusive, but at the same time we’d know why and we’d know that the women who can afford it are – much as they were when they dressed like they collected art and design – opinion leaders. The image of money was that of exclusivity, new ideas, and the pleasure of innovations. Today it’s the pleasure of what is big, sparkling, and loud and not necessarily about new thinking. I am also sometimes nostalgic for the 60s, of Courrèges, of Claude Pompidou at the Élysée Palace dressed in Cardin or Françoise Hardy in Paco Rabanne. I am not saying we should go back, but couture at that time had a logic that was really very interesting.
The story of NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE and how BALENCIAGA became 21st Century Fashion - 032c
 
Haha! I’m far from being able to experience Couture! Even the most amazing pieces I’ve got from Nicolas’s time at Balenciaga (SS200:cool:, I got them later at a great vintage dealer.

But I think someone who is so into fabrics like Nicolas could totally enjoy himself with Couture. And Couture is really another allure (more formal) and somehow a more conservative world. In his Balenciaga collections, sometimes, the Allure was more Couture than maybe the craftmanship: FW 2005 is a perfect example. You had that evolution from daywear to eveningwear, the tailoring to the flou and a very classic (buy not conventional) look. Of course he did some grandiose stuff after!

The thing about Demna is that Balenciaga is on fire now! If he does proper Couture and not the stuff all the Kering houses are doing (glorified Redcarpet stuff), it could work. Some Couture clients are so tacky in their « Chanel, Dior » that I wouldn’t mind having fun seeing them in Balenciaga by Demna.

Maybe if you saved up you could easily afford HC— the way us commoners save up to afford RTW??? (…LOL)

It would be a huge huge huge disappointment if Nicolas’ HC was just an extension of what he’s doing at Vuitton— just with red carpet gowns. Always got the impression that he made it rather clear by virtue of his design vocabulary that designing for Vuitton is very different from his signature at Balenciaga, that he’s reigning in all his creative juices that have exemplified his superior eye at Balenciaga for when the opportunity is right for his HC. I get that impression from many creatives these days: Let’s just play along and dumb it down until the time is right again…
 
^^
Thankfully, with the work of people like Karl of Iris or even Riccardo, the rules of Couture have somehow evolved...
I hope his views on Couture have evolved too. I feel more and more that Couture is the place in fashion where there are so many rules to broke!
Gianni, Gaultier, Mugler, John
Maybe if you saved up you could easily afford HC— the way us commoners save up to afford RTW??? (…LOL)

It would be a huge huge huge disappointment if Nicolas’ HC was just an extension of what he’s doing at Vuitton— just with red carpet gowns. Always got the impression that he made it rather clear by virtue of his design vocabulary that designing for Vuitton is very different from his signature at Balenciaga, that he’s reigning in all his creative juices that have exemplified his superior eye at Balenciaga for when the opportunity is right for his HC. I get that impression from many creatives these days: Let’s just play along and d*mb it down until the time is right again…
Yes, if I save up, I could buy HC...Even if I also save up to buy some HF Runway RTW pieces (I’m very strategic when buying RTW in general). That being said, I love fashion but not enough to spend 15k/30k on a beautiful Couture piece. But what I’m interested in Couture is the experience but also the creative part. I could buy a Chanel HC little black jacket (like the one in the exhibit/book) but I’m more interested in the idea of buying a runway piece because it relates to an emotion and then continue that emotion with the experience...But the prices are Out of this world.

Designers have realized that it’s not necessary to give your all in terms of creativity because in a capitalistic world, only your financial performances counts. Look at what Marc Jacobs have to Vuitton! One could believe that the energy of creativity he gave to the brand would have had an impact on his own brand....Not at all!
Even Nicolas. I really think that he gave his all at Balenciaga. The entire vision (down to the stores or celebrities) felt like him! And all his legacy was « destroyed ». I really respect brands and CEOs who have respect for their predecessors...
 
If anyone is interested, Balenciaga sorta had "couture" at the end of the FW2017 show. They had Cristobal's dresses from the archive on their website for made-to-order. It was kinda interesting to me because although the prices are high, they are not as high as I imagined. I feel like there is some sort of a false notion set from houses about how terribly expensive and unattainable haute couture is to keep people out and keep it exclusive

Screen Shot 2020-09-07 at 5.30.01 PM.png Screen Shot 2020-09-07 at 5.30.17 PM.png
 
If anyone is interested, Balenciaga sorta had "couture" at the end of the FW2017 show. They had Cristobal's dresses from the archive on their website for made-to-order. It was kinda interesting to me because although the prices are high, they are not as high as I imagined. I feel like there is some sort of a false notion set from houses about how terribly expensive and unattainable haute couture is to keep people out and keep it exclusive

View attachment 1155907 View attachment 1155908

You can buy originals from Cristóbal Balenciaga for less than what they are asking for, in webs like 1stdibs for example...and of course without any logo on sight (look at the hem from the first polka-dot dress).

Have a look here: 1stDibs: Antique and Modern Furniture, Jewelry, Fashion & Art
You can get a S/S 1963 moire dress for less than 3000 euros.
 
If anyone is interested, Balenciaga sorta had "couture" at the end of the FW2017 show. They had Cristobal's dresses from the archive on their website for made-to-order. It was kinda interesting to me because although the prices are high, they are not as high as I imagined. I feel like there is some sort of a false notion set from houses about how terribly expensive and unattainable haute couture is to keep people out and keep it exclusive

View attachment 1155907 View attachment 1155908
I mean, Couture is not just expensive clothes. In that aspect, Nicolas introduced Balenciaga Edition, which was essentially old Couture clothes from the Cristobal era, re-done in RTW.

Haute-Couture is much more about the experience ( going to the salon, having a model showing you the looks, being able to be involved in the creative process by altering things to your taste, the fittings...etc.).

There are so many beautiful Couture pieces in auctions, with history and much more affordable!
I think there’s a difference between just wanting a beautifully made garnement (Couture or not) and really be able to experience Haute Couture.

10000€ for a jacket or 30000€ or 50000€ for a dress is still very expensive and exclusive. We are used to those prices in RTW and so, it seems less shocking but it is expensive. The prices are justified but still to this day, I’m sometimes shocked at some prices...I mean, Bottega Veneta is selling ugly shiny dresses at 38000€!

At least, with Couture, you get an amazing experience...beyond the excessive and sometimes tacky prices that are only there to add a feeling of exclusivity.
 
^^^ It’s absolutely an experience. People forget that when they talk about HC. It sounds really pretentious, but for those that can afford and want to be pampered in extravagance— socialize with the designer and their team, and contribute in some way to a piece of fashion that is exclusively theirs while still from a coveted label, it can be an addictive experience for sure. People sometimes forget that it’s not just about the clothes. RTW is pretty much about just the clothes as far as I’m concerned: I don’t care for shopping and a flagship store doesn’t impress me, and I hugely dislike carrying shopping bags around; I’d rather stuff my purchases in a grocery bag, frankly. The physical act of trying on clothes is very tedious to me. At this point in time, I know what suits me— which designers/designs suits me, and I know exactly what I want so I'd prefer to order online. I’m pretty much public enemy #1 to those that rely on a brand’s experience to entice costumers into spending more at their shops and keep coming back.
 
If anyone is interested, Balenciaga sorta had "couture" at the end of the FW2017 show. They had Cristobal's dresses from the archive on their website for made-to-order.
Those archive pieces are to die for! How I wish I could afford them as a gift for my future wife!
 
I've always been a fan of Demna's 'couturesque' RTW pieces. Even if most of them are archival reinterpretations, he still gives them a cool and modern twist. The couture calendar needs a shakeup and I think he will be a breath of fresh air.

On the topic of Balenciaga made-to-order, Lotta posted on Instagram a while ago that she was the only person to purchase the massive golden ballroom dress (with the big bow at the back) from the S/S 2020 show. I thought that was intersting and it makes me wonder how many other people buy these kinds of pieces at Balenciaga.
 
^Those dresses were just awkard and I insist they resemble Ferrero Rocher wrapers. No surprise there wasn't a client for it, other than the stylist...

I was very weirded out by those archive rehashes walking down the runway in 2017, they lacked oomph and felt totally out of place.

The prospect is intriguing but the results won't live to my expectations most probably. An agent provocateur in HC is an utmost necessity at this point in time though.
 
EXCLUSIVE: Demna Gvasalia Thinks Couture Can Change Fashion
Balenciaga's creative director will show his first effort next July, including high fashions for men.


In an exclusive interview with WWD, he revealed plans to:
• Show pre-collections during Paris Fashion Week, and his main collections in June and December; reversing his previous ordering;

• Abandon his recent storytelling approach to refocus on clothes;

• Absorb the merchandising department into his design studio;

• Pivot future collection reveals toward Balenciaga clients, and not only industry elites;

• Employ a variety of formats to unveil his various collections, with a digital approach for the upcoming Paris Fashion Week in October;

• Ramp up the use of sustainable fabrics, nearing 100 percent for summer 2021.

He said the once-a-year timing reinforces that couture is “something quite special. We have to learn again to be patient to wait for special stuff. Doing it once a year, you have enough time to do really something special, to develop something that is not easy to copy. So it can really be a true couture.”

And a couture that is gender-inclusive.

“I think men came to the point that they want to wear couture as well, and I know that we have some customers that will love that,” he said. “I want to kind of erase the gender identification of couture being only for women, or only for older women who have money to afford it.”

Full Story: wwd.com
 
good to have someone at that level actually trying to change this mess of an industry
 
Great points and it will be interesting to see it come to life. Happy to see him transfer to a more sustainable fabric model. Also to merge merchandising with design is very smart. This touches upon the essence with everything that’s wrong at today’s large houses. Merchandising and marketing are far removed from the design essence. Which dilutes the message.
 

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