Balenciaga unveiled its 53rd Couture collection on June 26th (local time).

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The 53rd Balenciaga Couture collection highlights savoir-faire through unique techniques and material innovations. Subcultures such as streetwear, goth, skater, and metalhead interact with elements of minimalist forms and reimagined glamour. The relationship between fabrics, forms, garments, and the body is at the heart of the collection.

Courtesy of Balenciaga
While there is archival influence, the processes and finishes are modernized. In the opening example, a minimalist, sharp t-shirt is hand-lined with black scuba satin for a rare effect. The t-shirt echoes Warhol inspiration, and whether the underlying product is a soup can or an everyday shirt, Demna is interested not only in the appeal of the object itself, but also in the technique of elevating it into artistic form.

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Four distinctive codes of Cristóbal Balenciaga are applied to Demna's style vocabulary: the cocoon silhouette that accentuates the space between the garment and the body, three-quarter length bell sleeves, extravagant and almost eccentric hats, and innovations in fabrics. For example, leather, denim, and nylon wrap jackets lend architectural volume with an enveloping gesture, while three-quarter-length sleeves grace hoodies and T-shirts hand-painted by artist Abdelhak Benallou, and a trompe l'oeil "fur" couture coiffure coat crafted from synthetic wool shaped and hand-dyed by hairstylist Gary Gill (the garment took approximately two and a half months to create). Hats feature hand-draped and resin-set T-shirts, created in collaboration with artist Ni Hao, and carbon fiber bodies, created in collaboration with artist Alastair Gibson.

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The six final looks examine the potential of materials, considering how they evolve and are reimagined in relation to the body. Material development was also central to Cristóbal Balenciaga's research. The white cylinder dress is made from melted and upcycled plastic bags (some still retaining their original graphics, but most have been removed). The draped dress is made from a single piece of leather with no darts, no seams, and no raw edges, and is held together by a giant safety pin, creating an almost primal look. The piece pays homage to Cristóbal Balenciaga's masterful patternmaking. A cylinder of aluminum foil bustiers fuses and clatters around the body. Another bustier dress is crafted from faux fur, using traditional fur pattern-making techniques—cutting small strips and stitching them together in a herringbone pattern—to emulate the centuries-old tradition of reusing scraps. (The dress took 7.5 weeks to make.) A seamless, molded second-skin dress in deep black flocked leather becomes a wearable jewelry display. The garment is worn with an original archive 1960 Cristóbal Balenciaga necklace.

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The finale piece proposed a fleeting wedding dress, crafted from nylon—a reinterpretation of gazar, an ultra-fine fabric no longer feasible by the standards of Cristóbal's time. In a staged process, the couture atelier team draped, stapled, and directly sculpted 47 meters of fabric on the model just before the presentation. The garment was a fragile couture performance and experience. The piece took approximately 30 minutes to construct and 30 seconds to disassemble.

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The transience, magic and poetry of this experience are reflected in the collection's butterfly motifs, whether draped or not. These creatures are beautiful and extraordinary – they are design perfection. The butterfly veil features hundreds of hours of meticulous hand embroidery and is inspired by artist Yumi Okita. Butterflies symbolize change, hope and freedom.


Courtesy of Balenciaga


Contact:
Balenciaga Client Service
Tel 0120-992-136
URL balenciaga.com