Today Demna Gvasalia presented a new couture collection and again took on the task of surprising everyone. Some even believe that Haute Couture is much better than Ready-to-Wear for a Georgian designer. But first things first.
Firstly, gold bracelets in the shape of a bed with pins, which the tailors wore while working, served as an invitation to the fashion show. Secondly, the Balenciaga fashion show was opened by model Danielle Slavik, who personally worked with Cristobal Balenciaga from 1964 to 1968. By the way, the image of Daniel is an exact copy of the dress in which he appeared on the catwalk almost 60 years ago. Thirdly, Renata Litninova appeared on the podium, whose image is similar to Marilyn Monroe’s dress in the movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”.
However, the most memorable image of the collection was the model’s final appearance in a chrome-plated dress resembling armor. Such a piece of art weighs 80 kilograms and it took ten months to create it. Inspired by this image, we decided to remember the designers who also created the armor.
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Balenciaga Fall 2023 Fashion -
Balenciaga Fall 2023 Fashion
Paco Raban, 1968
Paco Raban is a genius whose work is considered the personification of the era of futurism in fashion. The Spanish designer (who started his career at Balenciaga, by the way) was one of the first to work with metal, plastic and even paper. And her first collection, Manifesto: 12 Unwearable Dresses Made from Modern Materials, included chain-knit dresses, tops made from plastic discs, and clothes made from paper. But real armor (albeit plastic) Paco Raban created not for the catwalk, but for the movie “Barbarella”. More precisely, for Jane Fonda, who played the lead role in the movie.
John Galliano, 2006
The couture shows prepared by John Galliano for Christian Dior are a separate art form. The ugly Englishman, like no one else, knew so much about large-scale theatrical performances and overcame the difficult task of surprising the discerning fashion community every year. For example, the inspiration for the couture collection in 2006 was an explosive mix of historical imagery by Joan of Arc, a dash of punk and the best traditions of the Middle Ages. The models walked the runway in armored dresses, headdresses and glass crowns.
Donatella Versace, 2018
Zendaya stepped onto the Met Gala’s red carpet in 2018 in an armored chain dress that referenced the Middle Ages and the image of Joan of Arc. The author of this masterpiece was Donatella Versace and the masters of the Versace fashion house.
Julien Dossena, 2020
This look from the Paco Rabanne 2020 collection is 100% true to the brand’s DNA. Here and chain mail and metal details on the hem of the skirt and a futuristic hood. The author of this militant image is the brand’s creative director, Julien Dossena.
Demna Gvasalia, 2021
In the couture collection we see today, Demna Gvasalia seemed to be quoting herself. We’ve already seen Balenciaga’s knights in the 2021 Lookbook. However, they came across in a more familiar way (by the way, Renata Litvinova wore these metals over her knee boots two years ago). Now plate armor has turned into a luxurious dress.
Jonathan Anderson, 2022
Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson also loves to experiment with materials. For example, he created keyboard tops for the JW Anderson brand and a metal jacket that momentarily weighed eight pounds for this year’s Loewe fall collection. And by the way, this is not the designer’s first experience working with metal. In the spring-summer collection of last year, he presented several breastplates at once. And it looks very beautiful.
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Source: People Talk
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
