Balenciaga - Resort 2021

(Images:  Balenciaga.  All credit)

Demna Gvasalia's Fall 2020 showing at the tail end of Paris Fashion Week in March this year, just at the cusp of Europe being beaten down severely by the Covid-19 virus, unveiled his most confronting and prophetic collection for Balenciaga since is his debut Fall 2016 show, when he replaced Alexander Wang.  To which Wang survived in only two and half years under the mega conglomerate Kering, who owns the Balenciaga brand, Gvasalia, now almost five years in, has slowly transformed the famed fashion house known originally for its Haute Couture, into an edger, yet streamlined vision of Gvasalia's trademarked styles of his former brand Vetements.  Imprinting the same avant-garde stylizations, with the notable fine tailoring, angular cuts and exaggerated fits, it was Gvasalia's disheveled-chic models that became his calling card.  Through all this, Gvasalia has obviously powered Balenciaga into newer heights within its cult appeal.  

Yet, the spectra of Covid-19 still lingers, as so far with couture and Resort 2020 collections, a muted and understandable, sombre affair post lock-down, have shown the limitations that many fashion designers face, particularly in sourcing materials.  What was noted pre-Covid 19 shut downs across Europe and the world, was the mega collections that took place on the Milan and Paris runways, the pace of fashion, at that point, despite token elements, was not slowing down at any pace.  With talk of slow fashion and utilizing dead stocks fabrics, everyone was flawed by the shock and awe when the virus hit, forcing everything to close down.  There is, as noted in my previous reviews as Europe and America begin to emerge from quarantine, both a dilemma and fear of either return to the old normal or reemerging into a newer perspective.  Except, in light of Gvasalia's apocalyptic show for Balenciaga in March, the darkness does not have to be a determent, as light is always the guide.

Balenciaga Resort showing for 2021 is not a flow on from Gvasalia's last darkened affair, he has moved back into the quirkiness of his earlier styles, with more of a brand conscious array and focus on young markets.  Which is fine, as the brand holds up well in it's street appeal.  But the collection has, unfortunately. stepped back into a reworked aspects on immaturity, yes, there are some of his exceptionally clean tailored looks, however, Gvasalia has not risen to the occasion of setting down and driving Balenciaga as a question of aesthetics in the shadow of this historic event we have all faced.  Pandering to the collective appeal may offer a reprieve of yersterday's memories, but in its sentiment it may hold only dissatisfaction.