GEORGIE’S REVIEW: BALENCIAGA SS21
Mon 5 Oct
Balenciaga presented their SS21 collection with models roaming the streets of Paris, lip-syncing to Corey Hart’s one-hit-wonder ‘Sunglasses at Night’. Is Balenciaga in on their own joke? Sporting sunglasses at night is usually an indicator of someone who thinks a bit too highly of themselves and this read as a fun reminder not to take oneself too seriously. Particularly in times like these.
There were Balenciaga classics such as tracksuits and long, strong-shouldered coats which were familiar pieces for Gvasalia. What was missing, however, aside from a long evening gown and a glittering mini-dress, were the high-fashion elements that elevate Gvasalia’s work from Vetements stylings to the French house Balenciaga. Then again, when your signature pieces - sweatsuits with an edge, hooded dresses and track jackets - are what everyone in isolation is craving, and indeed when Balenciaga couture is on the way, perhaps it’s wise to lean into the subversive normcore we know and love.
Of course, there were new additions to the roster, with sustainably-sourced fleecy belted coats and boxy suiting, pointed chunky boots and fluffy hotel sandals adding to the whimsy. It was quintessentially Demna with a tongue-in-cheek twist for the now.