Excerpt: BALENCIAGA RESORT 2024 - PARIS

 

After my Pre-Fall 2023 review of Demna Gvasalia's Balenciaga, I felt that a conclusion is probably in line as a fashion reviewer of the many of Gvasalia's Balenciaga's shows, it is the relentless expectations of the Balenciaga brand name via its holding company Kering, to have a perpetual presence for the iconic fashion house.  And in light of the comeback of this so called anti-establishment fashion designer after his fall from grace.  There is a growing repetitiveness of the Balenciaga showpiece, that by its definition is becoming more and more diluted with Gvasalia's creative drive.  So, this review of Gvasalia's Resort 2024 showing for Balenciaga, which is clearly a reworking of Couture that is deliberately out of season. And I mean this literally, as the filmed collection shows Gvasalia's displaced and misplaced looking models move in and out of the wind and rain, in front of the late Cristóbal Balenciaga couture maison in Paris.

Toying with the spirits of the past is an unwise motavation.     

I will choose, maybe randomly, snippets from all my reviews of Balenciaga over the many years.  See if it matches up for this Resort collection. 

 BALENCIAGA. PRE-FALL 2020 - NEW YORK.

"Demna Gvasalia is now three seasons in at the creative helm for Balenciaga, already stamping his Vetements imprint in a literal sense, since leaving the family business, onto the styles of the famous and prestiges brand name.  Which, in respect to the rich history of the Spanish Couturier; is in name only, within its finery to sell into the current luxury markets.  Yet, Kering, the multinational giant who owns Balenciaga, has clearly seen the imprint that Gvasalia has made with the five year old brand Vetements.  There is probably an ironic reflection in all this, but business is business and within the structural aspects of it all, fashion seeks to create, whilst following the market and all its trends.  And the current trend that has morphed over from 2019 is the second hand thrift styles, whilst reworking vintage looks and styles with 80's and 90's street wear touches.  As discussed in my running commentary on these evolving styles, that both originated from the current focus of street level aesthetics, has mirrored the brand names themselves..."

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BALENCIAGA RESORT 2024 - PARIS

(A.Glass 2020/2023)