For Winter 2023, Balenciaga sharply focused on a synergy of enduring concepts through minimalistic shapes that, as simple as they may seem, redefine a facet of fashion that is far away from being familiar.
Reconstructed tailoring started off the show, as waists were inverted and placed at hems or used as cuffs, and pants were doubled with legs being draped over legs to create a fluid motion – whether in denim, leather, or outerwear cotton. Next, inflatable forms took the runway and appeared through a zip-up hoodie, a biker jacket, a tracksuit and a puffer to transform the body’s dimensions in a never-before-seen reference to extreme athletics. Draped and gathered gowns in silk georgette also had their share of this dramatic fashion phenomenon, proposing volumes of their own. This wasn’t all, as Balenciaga’s Couture style was revived through pronounced shoulders seen on floral plissé dresses in leather and lightweight textile, animal print leather trenches, and small-fit sweatsuits in jersey or velour, as well as in eveningwear pieces like floor-length gowns that are meticulously sequined, crystal-studded, layered with beaded fringe, knit with sparkling yarns, lace embroidered, hand-embellished with single drops of silicon, or cast in velvet, and tied at the waist with a satin bow.
With accessories such as soft leather versions of the Huge Bag, an evolution of the Crush Bag, the monochrome Biker Boot, and the Anatomic Boot in tube knit or spandex adding the final touches to the looks, the collection was a journey to the unique world of Balenciaga.
