Balenciaga S/S 2015 Paris

[Caffeine]

And Nicholas didn't???

I get not liking the clothes that Wang is turning out but to knock him for doing exactly what Ghesquiere did at Balenciaga is hilarious. In fact, that's the most apparent thing that Wang has in common with his predecessor.

I don't hate this, but he has yet to live up to his first collection which was, I though, very promising.

I don't think you would say so had you followed Ghesquiere's collections since he started. Quite a few collections under his watch changed either the proportions, the trend, or the "look" people put together. That was Balenciaga then.

There is no doubt that his last collections at Balenciaga were weird and practically irrelevant. But it was probably also to do with his conflict with management and business.

Wang is in a very different situation. I feel that Wang was hired into Balenciaga with a totally different mandate. They want to milk the business and they want him to be commercial. Wang delivered exactly that. But creatively speaking, it just always leaves me very unsatisfied. It was indeed just a few *ordinary* looks with pretty nice decorations. If this is what Balenciaga tries to accomplish, so be it. But don't compare it to the Balenciaga under NG. Because it's not even remotely comparable. Soon enough, the brand will no longer be relevant.

 

[vladimiryeo]

For me, this collection is a perfect example of mediocracy. If you can't handle two brands at the same time, maybe you shouldn't took the job.

 

[Spike413]

I don't think you would say so had you followed Ghesquiere's collections since he started. Quite a few collections under his watch changed either the proportions, the trend, or the "look" people put together. That was Balenciaga then.

There is no doubt that his last collections at Balenciaga were weird and practically irrelevant. But it was probably also to do with his conflict with management and business.

Wang is in a very different situation. I feel that Wang was hired into Balenciaga with a totally different mandate. They want to milk the business and they want him to be commercial. Wang delivered exactly that. But creatively speaking, it just always leaves me very unsatisfied. It was indeed just a few *ordinary* looks with pretty nice decorations. If this is what Balenciaga tries to accomplish, so be it. But don't compare it to the Balenciaga under NG. Because it's not even remotely comparable. Soon enough, the brand will no longer be relevant.

I actually did follow Ghesquiere's collections from about 2001 onward, so I'd like to think that I'm fairly well informed about his work at the house during the bulk of his tenure.

What I was saying is that Ghesquiere's collections were almost always built around a handful of looks that were then slightly tweaked from one to the other without actually being a totally separate and unique look. That was his formula, to show five or six variations on the same look in sequence and then move on to the next.

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I don't see how Ghesquiere's use of this formula is any more valid or less lazy than Alexander Wang's. Honestly most runway shows employ this exact same trick. It's how a runway collection is built and makes an impact, so to criticize it or call Wang lazy for it seems silly.

 

[educo]

It's not that Wang is lazy or even Ghesquiere for that matter. That technique of stretching a look as far as possible in order to offer variety is a smart design and business decision.

My problem with Wang is, for all he has at his disposal, he doesn't marry the commercial aspect needed to run a business with the innovative resources at a house like Balenciaga. There is no excuse for that. I always loved the textile treatments and the accessories because it seemed (to me) like they collaborated with the appropriate people to push the envelope. That's what made Balenciaga under NG so exciting. It wasn't that he was doing these radical silhouettes like Cristobal, he was doing these, in my opinion, very commercial silhouettes in these innovative fabrics.

I shouldn't be seeing textiles that are practically identical to his mainline at Balenciaga. Who knows? Maybe that's what the suits wanted, Alexander Wang made by the French (shrugs).

 

[loladonna]

I wish people would get over the irrational dislike of Wang so his collections can be judged more objectively. At this point he is fully established and proven.

I will take this collection over what Dior and Lanvin just put out for spring. This collection remains one of the few highlights of what is shaping up to be a fairly unremarkable season across the board in all the cities.

 

[MeghanEve]

I love the soft lilac with luxe mesh and the polo style dresses.

Taking the whole collection into consideration, it's somewhat lacking, as if the narrative / inspiration simply fell apart and Wang just kept on going.

No Balenciaga of old coming through at all. It seems like he hasn't (yet) made his mark with this design house.

 

[Caffeine]

I wish people would get over the irrational dislike of Wang so his collections can be judged more objectively. At this point he is fully established and proven.

I will take this collection over what Dior and Lanvin just put out for spring. This collection remains one of the few highlights of what is shaping up to be a fairly unremarkable season across the board in all the cities.

i don't think people dislike Wang. I think that many simply dislike the fact that Wang is at Balenciaga. Wang is a very successful commercial designer and he has earned it.
What some are frustrated with is that Balenciaga used to be an inspiring and sometimes conceptual brand, but now it all of a sudden became a commercial brand. The change was too abrupt.
To be honest I'm not sure how his RTW sells vs. NG.

 

[Caffeine]

I actually did follow Ghesquiere's collections from about 2001 onward, so I'd like to think that I'm fairly well informed about his work at the house during the bulk of his tenure.

What I was saying is that Ghesquiere's collections were almost always built around a handful of looks that were then slightly tweaked from one to the other without actually being a totally separate and unique look. That was his formula, to show five or six variations on the same look in sequence and then move on to the next.



I don't see how Ghesquiere's use of this formula is any more valid or less lazy than Alexander Wang's. Honestly most runway shows employ this exact same trick. It's how a runway collection is built and makes an impact, so to criticize it or call Wang lazy for it seems silly.

NG delivered a few new looks for a few seasons, right?

 

[disco54]

i don't think people dislike Wang. I think that many simply dislike the fact that Wang is at Balenciaga. Wang is a very successful commercial designer and he has earned it.
What some are frustrated with is that Balenciaga used to be an inspiring and sometimes conceptual brand, but now it all of a sudden became a commercial brand. The change was too abrupt.
To be honest I'm not sure how his RTW sells vs. NG.

Most of Wang's work is either bastardizing Helmut Lang's collections from the late 90s/ early 2000s or NG's Balenciaga from the 2000s. He is more of a very good stylist. His level of design works in New York, but he does not have the talent to helm a house like Balenciaga, and it clearly shows.

 

[|PerfectTonight|]

Love almost everything. The black looks are fantastic. Just the right amount of cut and detail. The shoes are major. What I didn't like are the knit inspired looks, looks quite cheap. Although thy may look good up close, the far away view looks very H&M.