After Balenciaga’s lacklustre Fall 2023 show in Paris back in March, the house’s Spring 2024 presentation on May 30 was going to go one of two ways. Either: 1) more of the same, or 2) a return to their more extravagant pre-scandal ways.
Alas, a mere 30 seconds into its five minute digital show (which had invited some of its viewers by way of a keyring), it was clear that Demna Gvasalia’s Balenciaga is firmly setting up camp in the former, for now at least.
The show — which premiered on both the house’s website and IG — was set outside Balenciaga’s famous 10 avenue George V location, and captured people heading in and out of the maision all of whom were clad head-to-toe in Balenciaga.
From dog walkers and couriers, to skaters and cyclists, the show presented city dwellers in the Parisian sun and a sudden downpour.
For the first three minutes, looks were kept fairly black across the board in the form of trench coats, denim ‘fits, and hoodies, before a switch-up midway through invited in color across both apparel and footwear.
Sharp tailoring was met with luxe rare wool, while eveningwear was realised through surfer jerseys and more technical-looking pieces. The Biker Boot arrived transformed into a Pantashoe, a move Balenciaga described as "combining enhanced manoeuvrability with a gloss of demi-couture."
The accompanying lookbook was undoubtedly the collection's most impressive facet. Alongside a slew of closer looks at some of the aforementioned, there were a handful of unusual styling choices.
From oversized tags on jackets and towels around the waist (something we're dubbing "beach towel couture"), to exaggerated pointed shoes and cropped track jackets, this was arguably the first sign we've seen of the old Balenciaga.
Since its return to the world of fashion following the brand’s well-documented ad scandal towards the end of 2022, the label has understandably been a shadow of its former self.
Its reunion with the runway left a lot to be desired, while its product releases since have for the most part gone under the radar. Nevertheless, Balenciaga is officially back and its Spring 2024 collection is proof.
This certainly isn't Balenciaga's most exciting show to date, but surely Demna and Balenciaga can't keep things this low-key forever, can they?
