Mood board: 2017 sees the 100th anniversary of the house of Balenciaga, a triumph being marked in exhibitions globally throughout the year, from the ‘Balenciaga: L’Oeuvre au Noir’ exhibition opening at the Musée Bourdelle in Paris on 8 March, celebrating the designer’s use of black, to the ‘Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion’ exhibition opening at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in May. Cristóbal Balenciaga had each of his haute-couture collections photographed, and it was this image archive that Demna Gvasalia delved into for A/W 2017, reintroducing the house’s made-to-order history with a series of archive-inspired dresses, some with oversized peplum details or huge bows at the waist, each labelled with the year, collection and garment description on its back.
Best in show: From the trapeze-shaped baby-doll dress, to the tulip silhouette, Cristóbal was renowned for his avant-garde approach to the female form, and floral detail and polka dot designs echoed shapes within the Spanish designer’s archive. The collection also opened with a series of coats, buttoned aysmmetrically at an angle to the side of the body, in mannish checks, leopard prints and leathers. They reflected a modern and more angular take on Balenciaga’s subversive approach to form.
Finishing touches: Preoccupied with repurposing mundane materials, which formed a modern contrast to the archive haute couture shapes in the collection, Gvasalia revealed vehicle mats wrapped as skirts, nylon tire covers carried as totes and wing mirrors reimagined as reflective evening bags.
Balenciaga A/W 2017
Balenciaga A/W 2017
Balenciaga A/W 2017
Balenciaga A/W 2017
-
Year in review: the top 10 cars of 2024, selected by transport editor Jonathan BellWhat are our cars of the year? We’ve scoured the archives to unveil the machines that most impressed us over the past 12 months, from retro revivals to high-tech EVs
-
An Indian mud house - and more, on Sketch Design Studio's natural material wondersSketch Design Studio in Rajasthan, India does wonders with the simplest ingredients
-
Experience this Singapore apartment’s Zen-like qualities and cocooning urban havenWelcome to Singapore apartment The Rasidence, a spacious, Zen-like interior by Right Angle Studio
-
Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France FemmesMarking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu MiuIn this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear showsFrom giant roulette wheels to Olympic diving boards and multi-city synchronized extravaganzas – our pick of the best fashion show sets from S/S 2022 womenswear
-
From The Simpsons to the European Parliament: best Balenciaga show sets‘Ay, caramba!' In celebration of The Simpsons-inspired Balenciaga S/S 2022 runway show, which saw the residents of Springfield descend onto the catwalks of Paris Fashion Week, we present the best recent fashion show sets from the Parisian maison
-
Walk this way: navigating S/S 2021's Paris Fashion WeekHow the City of Lights looked to the sartorial realities of our much changed lifestyles
-
Louis Vuitton A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Chanel A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s -
Y/Project A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's
