Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2018 Ready-to-Wear Review

Punkish tartan and spiked knife pumps opened up Demna Gvsalvia's latest stab at Balenciaga womenswear. From the jumping off point, this collection was a departure from the chilly glamour of last season. The venue was scarcely lit, there were smaller walkways, and there was more of an underground cool with the clothes that Gvsaliva originally became known for. Parisian gift shop charms, paper money and newspaper prints, and those frankly disgusting platform Crocs at the finale of the show all added fantastically tacky flourishes to otherwise harsh ensambles. A lack of sophistication seemed present in this collection when compared to last seasons. Perhaps this is intentional, as Gvsalia and his team try and bring together his vision across from the already less sumptuous menswear line to womenswear. These clothes were very industrialist in that they would look good posed up next to decaying concrete buildings and expansive highways: bare, emotionless, but symbols of forward thinking and man's escape from nature. 

The physical amount of clothes present in this collection was also something to note. Silk scarves covered leather bags, trompe l'oeil chunks of different coats spliced on top of an independent coat gave the illusion of several layers, even though its being sold as singular garments. On the face, the garment appears to be two separate garments hanging from the shoulders and neck like it would be on a hanger. Maybe Gvsalia is thinking about the hanger appeal of his clothes and the fast fashion impact on luxury fashion. People don't want to wait for their clothes anymore and  this collection will no doubt fly off shelves at Balenciaga's lofty stockists. Specifically, those hot-ticket knife boots, a street style staple, will be available as tweed pumps and various printed boots come next spring. 

Images Courtesy of VogueRunway.com