Highsnobiety
balenciaga-adidas-ss23-collab-collection (58)
Balenciaga

When Balenciaga revealed that it would show its Spring 2023 collection off-calendar in New York, we expected an MTA collab at the very least. Nope! Demna instead flipped the script and took fashion to FiDi.

Specifically, Balenciaga's SS23 runway show was held in the New York Stock Exchange, where you'll rarely see anything more stylish than a Patagonia vest or Hermès belt. It's not even the wildest venue that Demna's ever taken over, though: remember when Demna did McDonald's?

The ensuing presentation, what with its BDSM-ready models and mutated tailoring, was a loose commentary on contemporary obsession with stonks, as the kids call them, though there were no obvious crypto or NFT nods (hooray!).

But, then again, the show coincided with Balenciaga's announcement that it'll soon accept cryptocurrency payments, so it's not like Demna is above a little commercialism.

The actual show was classic Balenciaga and also not. Beneath the usual baggy hoodies and floor-scraping jeans, models were cocooned in a layer of fetish-y latex, which is turning into this season's must-have textile (pro tip: leave this fad for the celebs unless you're sweat-resistant).

Early looks stripped away the Balenciaga branding that the fans crave, spotlighting the house's renewed focus on silhouette-savvy ready-to-wear with a semi-formal bent.

This was a mélange of Balenciaga's new "Eveningwear" and "Garde-Robe" ("Wardrobe" in French) collections, which update staple shirts, trench coats, and double-breasted overcoats in lusty silk and fuzzy wool, all grounded by some of the biggest Balenciaga boots ever devised.

But the main event was obviously the unveiling of Balenciaga's adidas collaboration, which has been the industry's worst-kept secret for a couple months.

Just like the Balenciaga Gucci "Hacking Lab," Fendace's Swap, and Jean Paul Gaultier's RTW rebirth, Balenciaga x adidas fancies itself too good for the juvenile moniker of "collab." What do you think this is, a Supreme drop?

Instead, the press release simply refers to the partnership as "Balenciaga / adidas," because, sure.

However you describe it, the collection comprises an array of crossover sneakers — including that leaked Triple S — and clothing, as you'd expect.

The former includes at least a Triple S, Sock Sneakers, and a destroyed Stan Smith while the latter encompasses a full spread of typical adidas gear, like hoodies, track suits, and socks, all remixed to Balenciaga's standard (read: everything is cut HUGE).

Some of the Balenciaga x adidas kicks dropped online immediately following the show, foretelling the entire collection's release, which I presume will be later this year.

The adidas collaboration ain't even the nuttiest thing that Balenciaga's done in the past month (ahem, Paris sneaker) but it is another luxurious feather in adidas' cap, having already dreamed up collaborations with Gucci and Prada in the past year alone.

While the SS23 collection does speak to Demna's canny ability to make a fashion show into event viewing, it also underscores adidas' ambitions to be the luxury industry's go-to sportswear partner, except for when LVMH is involved, perhaps.

We Recommend
  • Image on Highsnobiety
    All the Fear of God x adidas' Sneakers (So Far)
    • Sneakers
  • Image on Highsnobiety
    Everything to Know: adidas YEEZY's August 2023 Sneaker Sale
    • Sneakers
  • Image on Highsnobiety
    adidas Brought Homer Simpson’s Most Relatable GIF to Life
    • Sneakers
  • adidas basketball shoes
    The Best adidas Basketball Shoes to Wear on & off the Court
    • Sneakers
    • sponsored
  • Image on Highsnobiety
    AURALEE & New Balance Serve a Special Sneaker for SS24
    • Sneakers
  • Image on Highsnobiety
What To Read Next
  • Ann Demeulemeester ss24
    Enter Ann Demeulemeester's Dark Paradise by Stefano Gallici
    • Style
  • kim kardashian balenciaga outfit
    The Night Before Balenciaga, Kim Kardashian Appears (in Balenciaga, Of Course)
    • Style
  • alexander mcqueen ss24 sarah burton
    At Alexander McQueen SS24, Sarah Burton Takes Her Final Bow
    • Style
  • junya watanabe new balance ss24
    What'cha Got There, Junya Watanabe & New Balance?
    • Sneakers
  • kendall jenner bad bunny gucci
    Forget IG — Kendall Jenner & Bad Bunny Make It Gucci Official
    • Style
  • cpfm marc jacobs disney create 100
    EXCLUSIVE: CPFM & Marc Jacobs Enter the Wonderful World of Disney Create 100
    • Style
*If you submitted your e-mail address and placed an order, we may use your e-mail address to inform you regularly about similar products without prior explicit consent. You can object to the use of your e-mail address for this purpose at any time without incurring any costs other than the transmission costs according to the basic tariffs. Each newsletter contains an unsubscribe link. Alternatively, you can object to receiving the newsletter at any time by sending an e-mail to info@highsnobiety.com

Web Accessibility Statement

Titelmedia (Highsnobiety), is committed to facilitating and improving the accessibility and usability of its Website, www.highsnobiety.com. Titelmedia strives to ensure that its Website services and content are accessible to persons with disabilities including users of screen reader technology. To accomplish this, Titelmedia has engaged UsableNet Inc, a leading web accessibility consultant to help test, remediate and maintain our Website in-line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which also bring the Website into conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Disclaimer

Please be aware that our efforts to maintain accessibility and usability are ongoing. While we strive to make the Website as accessible as possible some issues can be encountered by different assistive technology as the range of assistive technology is wide and varied.

Contact Us

If, at any time, you have specific questions or concerns about the accessibility of any particular webpage on this Website, please contact us at accessibility@highsnobiety.com, +49 (0)30 235 908 500. If you do encounter an accessibility issue, please be sure to specify the web page and nature of the issue in your email and/or phone call, and we will make all reasonable efforts to make that page or the information contained therein accessible for you.