Balenciaga goes public on the New York Stock Exchange and showed its spring 2023 collection on Sunday between screens with flickering share prices. The fashion house still has the Herzogenaurach sports giant Adidas in its luggage, which is currently very popular for luxury collaborations, and here at the latest the boundaries between the hypes in fashion and on the stock market are blurring. Logomania and sportswear meet business looks with a pinch of latex – in the style of designer Demna (Gvasalia).
Share prices flicker across the screens, the audience sits in between and the conversations mix – a hustle and bustle like on a normal day on the stock exchange, except that the monitors are the only source of light. A chime, like the signal to start the trading day, interrupts the hustle and starts the show.
A dark secret
Gloomy techno music booms over the speakers and the first model walks briskly through the rows. A black latex mask shines in the spotlight and stands out from the black look. The look of an ankle-length coat with flared shoulders is rounded off with dark sunglasses, a large tie scarf and stiff latex gloves.
The latex mask runs through the entire collection. This anonymization has been part of Balenciaga looks before, such as the SS22 collection and the joint collection with Yeezy Gap. So far, the masks and one-piece suits have been made of a restrained cotton fabric. With the latex version, which leaves the eye and mouth areas free and is complemented with braids – reminiscent of whips – a sado-maso aesthetic is created.
This subversive aesthetic is juxtaposed with a classic style featuring suits and dresses. Together they resonate with a sense of dark mystery – like the businessman who works the stock market by day and lives out his fantasies by night.
Between the business outfits, where the models hold briefcases and coffee-to-go mugs, there are also some more festive looks and even some color comes into play. The face covering is not missing here either and is integrated into a tight-fitting glitter dress. Colorful accents in the otherwise gloomy collections are set by dark blue and green tones for coats, white blouses and a summery, dotted dress.
Video: Balenciaga via YouTube
Adidas x Balenciaga: Logomania with consumer criticism
The second part of the collection, in which the collaboration with Adidas is presented, will be much more colorful.
The Balenciaga designer draws on the sportswear manufacturer’s archive and finds his inspiration in the late ’90s and ’00s. The Adidas logo and the iconic ‘Three Stripes’ are placed extensively on various pieces and combined with the Balenciaga lettering. Extra large tracksuits, football shirts, baggy coats, shoes and also a range of accessories – like socks, earrings and bags – with lots of logomania.
Due to the many stock exchange screens showing emblems from Disney, Twitter and Coca Cola, the logos of the collection create an over-stimulation of brands and companies. This gives the collection a satirical component that pokes fun at the Logomania trend of recent years.
Gvasalia is known for its off-putting concepts, with critiques of consumer society and the luxury industry. Just recently, Balenciaga introduced a controversial new sneaker that retails at €1450 with its worn look.
Hip collaboration or price crash of the popularity ratings?
The collaboration with Adidas also brings some criticism and resentment. Negative comments such as “Real bullshit”, “Bored already. Lazy designs” (Already bored. Lazy designs) or linking to Gucci’s Instagram account as a criticism of repeated collaborations with a major fashion house. The Italian fashion house, which like Balenciaga belongs to the luxury goods group Kering, already presented a collaboration with Adidas in February. Balenciaga’s post about the collection, on the other hand, received more positive comments.
The fashion journalist Philippe Pourhashemi devoted his own critical post to the collection with his Instagram profile “fashionist76”, in which he criticized the designs as “without meaning or depth”. He couldn’t think of a worse design than a baggy tracksuit and finds the use of latex materials “ridiculous” when compared to collections by designers like Walter van Beirendonck and Jean Paul Gaultier – who are known for this style .
Whether this criticism from experts and consumers is justified remains a matter of opinion. It’s clear that Gvasalia has once again managed to make his collection the number one topic of conversation.
The cooperation with Adidas is already available for pre-order in the online shop. The collection starts with socks for 210 US dollars (about 197 euros). The most expensive item is a hooded leather jacket for US$5500. The pre-order is possible until May 29th.