Masks may be an au courant trend but thanks to masks, social distancing and vax cards Paris Fashion Week wailed back to life. The festivities that began ended on Monday, September 27th wind down on Tuesday, October 5th with the man or fashion houses opting for live shows such as Dior, Chanel, Hermes, and Vuitton. However, we cannot overlook that COVID-19 is not yet over and so just like in New York, London, and Milan, face coverings were mandatory at all the shows this week in the City of Lights. Of the 97 fashion brands showing at PFW, about two-thirds were renewing with online presentations.
About Balenciaga
Balenciaga opened its fall 2022 with a declaration from creative director Demna, formerly known as Demna Gvasalia, which addressed the attacks on Ukraine and his own personal suffering as a refugee from his native country of Georgia. “The war in Ukraine has triggered the pain of a past trauma I have carried in me since 1993 when the same thing happened in my home country and I became a forever refugee,” he wrote. “This show needs no explanation, it is a dedication to fearlessness, to resistance, and to the victory of love and peace.”
Turning up voices
There’s something to be explained about the way in which brands use their voice during times like these: pre-show, Balenciaga mopped its Instagram feed, save the sole image of the Ukrainian flag. (Demna also had oversized Ukrainian flag t-shirts rested on every guest’s seat.) As show attendees, involving Kim Kardashian, who wore yellow Balenciaga logo tape head-to-toe—took their seats, the lights went on to disclose a blustery snow squall happening from behind a glass wall. It was operatic and poetic in shape and escapist all at once. Models traipsed through the snow—their hair, pants, dresses, and whatever other accessories they kept up blowing behind them from the insubstantial force of the wind. It was an aesthetic show of grinding for sure, both figuratively and literally; a large part of the collection was done in sombre yet influential tones of all-black.
Want a piece of Yeezy Gap Balenciaga?
How Balenciaga threw the spotlight on Ukraine, as inventive director Demna Gvasalia relives the personal laceration of being a Georgian refugee. The Yeezy Gap X Balenciaga collection has been unveiled, and already there is a waiting list. Guests entered with Ukrainian flag T-shirts at the brand’s autumn/winter show, with a statement from Gvasalia outlining his mission to utilize Balenciaga’s voice to highlight the crisis. ‘We cannot use weapons and go fight but we can use our voices,’ he said, as models walked through the blistering runway setting.
Aperrals implied
All these uncertainties environmental, geopolitical, the fear of the dark forces that are certainly in charge have come to pass. Battering in their stiletto heels and thigh-high boots in snow-blasted headwinds towards whatever destiny lies ahead. A stoical refinement, you might call it. Black asymmetric robes blowing voluminously in the arctic wind. Oversized hybrids of hoodie and padded outerwear; leather jackets that turn out to be prepared from Balenciaga’s modern mycelium-derived leather-mimicking alternative. Tote bags mingled with boots. And at the end, two looks, one a yellow tracksuit, the other a blue dress with a long, long flag-like train: the two unmistakable colours of the democratic, independent nation of Ukraine.
Feature image :The Guardian
