Mood board: Is technology really rendering our lives better and easier and allowing us to be more connected, or is it completely ruining our existence? Maybe a little bit of both? By now, nobody will deny that those questions remain constantly in the back of our minds. Not even Demna Gvasalia. The designer's last outing for Balenciaga was a reflection on the effects that tech is having on us. It may not be a pretty picture, but it sure is a striking one. Upon arriving to the show venue in La Plaine Saint-Denis, guests took their seats in what looked like a long tube (much the inside of a gigantic computer cable), admittedly a bit of a claustrophobic, unsettling scenario, albeit an impressive one.
Team work: The set was in fact the work of Canada-born video artist Jon Rafman, who has made a career of exploring the way that technology is changing human beings. For the show, he conceived a cinematic video installation, part techno-futuristic, part like a bad psychedelic trip, which took over the whole set, from the floor to the ceiling. As if the effect wasn't ominous enough, there was the music, custom-made post-punk beats over which an Orwellian voice repeated, incessantly, the words 'presence is key, now is the answer, ego is not who you are... How has humanity been taken by this for so long?', like some sort of infinitely ironic mantra about our era. There was no doubt about it: Demna Gvasalia has rarely been in a darker mood.
Best in show: Further proof of it was in the clothes: gone were the humorous normcore slogans and exaggerated layerings from seasons past. This time, the collection was reduced to the strict minimum. There were simple dresses, suits and trench coats with extra-large square shoulders (no shoulder pads though, it was all the effect of 3D tailoring. At least we'll have that to thank technology for) and crisp shirts in a C silhouette (Cristóbal Balenciaga's trademark), accompanied by square-toed pumps and Demna's own trademark accessory, the sock boot. The only concessions to ornament were in the magazine clutches – a guaranteed best-seller – and a few ensembles embroidered with mini Eiffel Towers. After all, how much embellishment do we need for our 21st century lives running back and forth from the office with our iPhones?
Balenciaga S/S 2019
-
Wallpaper* checks in at the refreshed W Hollywood: ‘more polish and less party’The W Hollywood introduces a top-to-bottom reimagining by the Rockwell Group, capturing the genuine warmth and spirit of Southern California
-
Book a table at Row on 5 in London for the dinner party of dreamsRow on 5, located on the storied Savile Row, emerges as a perfectly tailored fit for fans of fine dining
-
How a bijou jewellery salon in Monaco set the jewellery trends for 2025Inside the inaugural edition of Joya, where jewellery is celebrated as miniature works of art
-
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
