Following his SS20 show last September which touched on the themes of the European Union and power-dressing , Balenciaga Creative Director Demna Gvasalia continued on a similar note for the campaign which was lensed by renown political campaign photographer Laurence Chaperon. The images use politics as a source of inspiration and conversation throughout fashion as a series of models are captured in a light similar to that of political candidates accompanied by cliche political slogans like “Love is for everyone “ and “We vote for tomorrow” .
Following the release of the campaign images the house also released video footage directed by Will Benedict in the form of a live evening news broadcast where a digitally modified cast reports disturbing but very eye opening headlines regarding climate change including flooding, the end of traffic jams , planets realigning etc. The campaign itself was a step further to the efforts the house have been making ignorer to spread awareness regarding climate change and global warming, yet carried out in a way in alignment to the Balenciaga aesthetic.
The past few weeks amidst the current health climate have been difficult for all. The necessary measures that have been put into place regarding the containment of the COVID-19 virus as local governments and health care workers fight tirelessly against rising death tolls has had an impact on all industries. The global fashion industry has of course had its major set backs with major cruise shows like Gucci, Dior, Prada & Chanel cancelling, production halting and general stocks that have been dropping. It would be an understatement to say the industry has had it’s fir share of loss amidst the crisis, especially considering the European country with the larger number of cases, is fashion and production hub — Italy . However, at the moment , many of these fashion houses and conglomerates are choosing to momentarily put aside these losses to focus on the task at hand — aiding the governments and healthcare officials in defeating the virus in the best way possible.
In Italy — where the blow has been the hardest, many have stepped up to the plate, Prada donated two complete intensive care and resuscitation units, and launched the production of 80,000 medical overalls and 110,000 masks for healthcare personnel following a request in the Tuscany region; Gucci also responded to the call with a donation of 1.1million surgical masks and 55,000 overall as a donation on behalf of its conglomerate Kering who has donated to four major foundation hospitals in Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany and Lazio and the brand also launched a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of 10 million and has had the WHO take over their instagram profile; Moncler has donated €10 million towards the construction of a new hospital in Milan; Giorgio Armani has given a total of €1.25 million to numerous Italian hospitals; Versace’s Donatella and her daughter donated €200,000 to the ICU of a Milanese hospital; Sergio Rossi has donated €100,000 to a hospital; and Valentino’s parent company Mayhoola has made a donation of €1 Million towards the Italian civil protection foundation for the extraordinary efforts they’ve had to put in place as well as a donation to improve the ICU of a struggling Milanese hospital. Influencer Chiara Ferragni also managed to raise a lump sum of €4.3 Million via a GoFundMe account launched with her husband in aid of Milanese hospital San Rafaelle.
In France – LVMH is manufacturing hydroalcoholic gel /hand sanitizer via its facilities normally used to produce fragrances for Dior, Guerlain and Givenchy which they will donate 12 metric tons across Paris’ 39 public hospitals by the end of this week; conglomerate Kering has also tasked it’s fashion brands Balenciaga & Saint Laurent to manufacture surgical masks and Hermes has donated 5 million yuan to a Chinese foundation in honour of medical professionals fighting the virus.
In Spain, Mayhoola , parent brand of Valentino, Balmain & Pal Zileri is supporting the Madrid community during this crisis by donating 1 Million EUROS, towards the expansion emergency field Hospital COVID-19 IFEMA which will become the largest hospital structure in the Madrid Community.
In the US a few brands have also been showing up for the cause, with designer Christian Siriano offering himself and team to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to aid in making face masks as well as Brandon Maxwell who has started working with his team to make masks, hospital gowns and other items that may be in short supply.
MOSCOT optical is working in collaboration with Cherry Optical Labs to give back to emergency medical professionals in the United States by providing over $1.5 million worth of MOSCOT frames filled with clear lenses that will help reduce exposure to airborne particles and fluid borne pathogens.
Witnessing the industry come together on such a tragic occasion in such a way to help the community at large is a glimmer of hope during a dark time. Each brand and individual person’s contribution has surely helped in some way or another in easing the pressure off medical professionals who are on the frontlines fighting during this dire time. For information on channels you can directly support the ongoing crisis in Italy, visit Forbes.
Demna Gvasalia is one of the only creative directors who manages to find an enviable balance between staying on trend and being political at the same time. The FW20 show presented in Paris last weekend was a show to remember , one that spoke directly to the inescapable doomsday that will brought by global warming, yet offering subtle glimmers of hope throughout the way.
The show’s set played a major role in the narrative — a flooded platform with water that bordered so wide that it submerged the first front rows seatings which was a subtle hint to the the primary responsibilities that lie with the decision makers of the industry. The ceilings of the room were screens programmed to produce eerie graphics birds fleeing and dark lighting which felt like a scene from a horror film.
It was as if he imagined the day of reckoning where humanity would be confronted with all its wrongdoings against Mother Earth, the day where Mother Earth herself wouldn’t wreak havoc upon the race with a menacing chaos. A mass of confusion so dire that it would wipe out whatever boundaries or structures we previously held which of course includes dress codes. Gvasalia dressed his subjects by fusing and recontextualizing dress codes associated with traditional values and desires. The religious was fused with the every day by way of clerical robes interpreted into casual wear ; bodybuilder fitted outfits made oversized for an one size fits all aesthetic and night gown prints made into powerful evening-wear. Sports, religion, obsession and seduction are a stripped of their functions and symbolisms and melted into one. It was a political statement aimed at climate change but also one that fired shots in the direction of religion and the traditional symbolism of the sacred versus the seductive.
“I had a lot of clerical wear in my research. I come from a country where the Orthodox religion has been so predominant. I went to church to confess every Saturday. Back then, I remember looking at all these young priests and monks, wearing these long robes and thinking, ‘How beautiful.’ You see them around Europe with their beards, hair knotted back and backpacks. I don’t know, I find it quite hot—but that’s my fetish,” the designer explained.
“How comes it is acceptable for clerics to wear that, but if I put on a long jacket and a skirt I will be looked at? I can’t, even in 2020! Religious dress codes are all about hiding the body, about being ashamed—body and sex is the taboo. Whereas when you look into it, some of these people are the nastiest perverts.”
Gvasalia created a collection that spoke to climate change, traditional dress codes and perversions of the church all while making reference to the house’s archives and staying in line with the current day trend. Such level of aptitude and interest in social change showcased, only makes one more intrigued for the house’s re-opening of their couture division later this year.
Paris has long been known as one of the world’s most romantic city in Europe. With historic ‘love’ bridges, the Eiffel Tower and other amenities, over the years, it has become the city on the moodboards of couples all across the world.
For their AW19 campaign, Parisian luxury street brand Balenciaga opted to pay homage to the city’s romance with a photo-series of real life couples decked out in Balenciaga gears — oversized coats, big hoodies, stonewashed jeans, anoraks jackets. Gushing in romance, each couple is intimately captured through the lens of photographer Greg Finch — a creative more known for romantic, wedding shots rather than editorials — around the metros, on benches, outside grocery stores, in front of cafés etc. The photo campaign is also accompanied by a video shot by videographer Ed Fornieless on CCTV in various locations as they each discuss their bond. It has always been said that sex sells, but try love, this campaign makes us all want to grab our partners and head all down to play dress up in some Balenciaga gear. To view the full campaign, visit Balenciaga.com
Parisian fashion house Balenciaga has unveiled the imagery for their Fall 2019 campaign set in Morocco, shot by French photographer Jean-Pierre Attal. For the campaign the photographer references his work series “Paysages Ethonographiques” where random subjects usually found in cosmopolitan scenery are casually placed in desert lands. The Balenciaga Fall 19 campaign takes on a similar narrative as the photographer’s subjects, decked out in full Balenciaga looks are placed in the Moroccan desert in a way that seems to be almost too contradictory to be real, blurring the lines between urban & suburban, real & surreal.
Yesterday Spanish luxury fashion house Balenciaga opened it’s doors in London to a new two story ready-to-wear and accessory store on Sloane Street. The store’s interior design is an exploration of Creative Director Demna Gvasalia’s interest in the look and feel around the idea of diverse retail environments. The store features a large display case along with a combination of ceiling panel lamps and floor to ceiling with on the ground floor. With a very futuristic feel, it includes grey scaled industrial furniture and columns, aqua green carpets, and glass and metals shelves complemented by minimal wrapped seating. The storefront also introduces a pair of hyper realistic mannequins based on two exclusive models: Eliza Douglas and Takato Harashima.
Neoprene made its way into our wardrobes a few seasons ago, and it hasn’t left since. Autumn/winter 2014 sees the trend evolve along with the sports lux style, both are becoming more sophisticated and designers more adventurous with the material. Here we have picked out one ensemble for you to go head-to-toe scuba. Or wear individually. That part is up to you.
Matches, the very British luxury shopping destination, with an exciting international outlook are renowned for their dedication to creativity and originality, as well as bringing the most globally sought after designers to their customer. With their fashion exclusives including the likes of Burberry Prorsum, Saint Laurent and Azzedine Alaia, it’s the place to buy key wardrobe hits every season.
For the upcoming AW they have the perfect arm candy on offer, from cool classics to cutting edge, and we’ve chosen the favourites from matchesfashion.com.
The bag above the text is the Pelican satchel bag by Alexander Wang.
Words by: Felicity Carter
Balenciaga, Giant City bag
Bao Bao Issey Miyake, Lucent shopper
Burberry Prorsum, Blaze studded patent-leather bag
It’s that time of year when resort collections start flooding in and designers show us their creations for the in-between season. With so many interesting lines to pick from, we give you the top four that made our cut…
From Acne’s free-flowing fabrics inspired by overgrown gardens, to Chloe’s over-sized silhouette, Resort 2014 has chosen to ditch the tighter figure. Riccardo Tisci took nuances from previous collections and Alexander Wang for Balenciaga took inspiration from the house’s signature billowing shape to create his latest line. All four of these designers have given us plenty to look forward to the seasons ahead.
Chloe
Clare Waight Keller’s latest collection for Chloe has what she calls “barefoot attitude,” pieces that have no need for heels. This relaxed aesthetic was seen through the ultra-wide legged trousers that came in varying lengths and colours. Crisp shirts were tucked neatly in place, trenches became gillets and soft layers took center stage.
Givenchy
Ricardo Tisci blurred both the feminine and the masculine in this collection, contrasting dense cotton fabrics such as twill and denim with materials such as silk jersey and chiffon to show opposing elements. Layers were key, creating a Holly Hobbie rag-doll look with a-line shapes, full skirts and wide pajama pants.
Acne
For Acne’s Resort 2014 line, Jonny Johansson created a more subdued collection compared to the sometimes-experimental garments seen on his catwalks. Oversized, slouchy silhouettes were created by ikat pajamas, satin dresses and biker jackets. Although inspired by Johansson’s garden, the collection featured less green, more tangerine, white and a plethora of rich, royal blues.
Balenciaga
Having travelled to Getaria, the birthplace of Cristóbal Balenciaga to look for inspiration, Alexander Wang found just that in the house’s archives. Keeping to a muted palette of white, grey and black, Wang played with shapes and length, introducing short-shorts, a theatrical bolero and shredded plastic bucket hats to the Balenciaga’s anthology.
In Part I, we covered what the one and only C trio (Chanel, Christian Dior, Comme Des Garcons) churned out, but from Haider Ackermann’s dreamy midnight-coloured collection to Marc Jacob’s retro mania, Paris Fashion Week still had a wide array of other intriguing collections to take in. Read on for Twin’s final list of favourites this S/S 13 season…
Stella McCartney
Considering the fact that she has collaborated with the likes of Adidas, no one does sporty quite like Stella. Energetic bursts of neon orange peaked out underneath a sheer silk sweatshirt whilst black and white printed strapless jumpsuits and oversized shirt-dresses were given an easygoing slouch thanks to a dropped waistline, all topped off with surprisingly wearable Lucite platforms. McCartney described the collection as “a conversation between a man and a woman” and thanks to the relaxed and loose-fitting silhouettes, there was something there for the elegant tomboy in every one of us.
Haider Ackermann
This S/S 13 season, man of the moment Haider Ackermann gave us something to dream about. Sheer silk and lace were wrapped around the body with the designer’s trademark fluid draping, in nighttime sky colours of ivory, midnight blue, black and a shimmering dark grey. A first was the use of geometric prints and polka dots, but even these rather atypical elements were melded into the harmonious collection. It’s safe to say that there are countless more breathtakingly beautiful collections like this one to come on Ackermann’s horizon.
Balenciaga
After an eighties, sci-fi flashback, this season saw a more formal Balenciaga woman come to the forefront. Nicolas Ghesquière may have constrained his colour palette to mostly black, white, nude, and charcoal colours but thanks to ruffled thigh-high cuts and plenty of upper midriff exposure, the sex appeal was as much there as ever. From the first pair of front-pleated, high waisted trousers to the last coated guipure lace dress, it was a testament to the fact that even without the futuristic drama, Ghesquière is more than capable of getting, and keeping, our attention.
Louis Vuitton
Marc Jacobs has become the designer of Paris you can count on for a complete fashion 180, and this season was no exception. In an ode to Diane Arbus, Marc Jacobs sent his Sixties styled models in pairs of two down the escalator and runway, matched up in Vuitton’s signature damier print. The silhouettes were streamlined, the hemlines decade-appropriately short and the fit body skimming. The main inspiration of the collection may have been from another era, but Jacobs managed to successfully reincarnate the look for 2013.
His first photograph in Vogue was of a Balenciaga hat, but with his original visual eye, it was only a matter of time before Parisian photographer Guy Bourdin’s images were international fashion perrenials. His work with French Vogue, coupled with his intuitive, ground-breaking advertising campaigns for Charles Jourdan shoes, changed the nature of fashion photography. Emphasis on the product was transferred onto the image, and in doing so, a new narrative was established, independent of the product itself.
Bourdin’s subsequent success afforded him additional artistic licence where lurid, eccentric and overtly sexual images explored the controversial themes of domination, violence and death, provoking accusations of misogyny and a morbid pre-occupation with mortality. Rarely seen images of his work are currently on show at Michael Hoppen Gallery, including a selection from his series for the 1980 Pentax Calendar, which serve as a fitting tribute to an artist who died 21 years ago in relative obscurity, and is considered to be one of the most influential fashion photographers of the Twentieth Century.
Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
