Paris is amidst the hustle and bustle.
The models and guests rushing between the venues looked excited and tired; Fans of spokespersons from major fashion houses gathered outside the venue, screaming to prove their fanaticism; There are also some year-round strike protesters mixed in. In addition, this city will welcome even more grand global sports events in the summer months ahead. The lazy French slow pace is disrupted, and Parisians will spend the whole year in this overload of noise.
The surging traffic units are not only people, but also data. Allergic reactions to information waste are an epidemic in postmodern society, where people crave fresh stimuli and are then subjected to low doses of dopamine fragments on social media to establish tolerance. The media volume affected by public events is traceless after reading, and the result of the burning of impurities mixed with the compound is mental emptiness.
In the release show of the Balenciaga Winter 24 series, creative director Demna attempted to place people in a virtual space accelerated by information. Located at the É cole des Invalides in Paris, Balenciaga has built a corridor surrounded by LED screens in all directions.
Before the start of the fashion show, Demna sent a 1 minute and 32 second voice message to everyone, first explaining the significance of this fashion show to him. In the consistently obscure and gorgeous style of fashion brand communication, this is simply a luxurious simplicity and sincerity.
In addition, the invitation letter for this season’s release show is also unique. 800 second-hand eBay items personally selected by Demna, along with the purchase order, were sent to the address of each viewing guest one by one. Porcelain ornaments, candle holders, antique accessories The objects once owned by someone retain the warmth of the past, and are then handed over to a new owner, opening the next story. The artistic operation of performance also confirms Demna’s philosophy.
“Luxury goods represent a scarcity rather than repetitive or unlimited production. The luxury goods that are truly scarce and needed in this industry are creativity itself,” Demna said.
Chinese artist Yang Chaoyue appeared on the runway with a surprising surprise, boldly breaking through her previous image with a cool black ground length skirt. The sharp and sharp side of the girl was released.
With the start of the big show, the dark curtain gradually faded away. Demna first woke everyone up from a magnificent sunrise on a snowy mountain, and the transformation of light and shadow on the golden mountain couldn’t help but evoke similar Macbook dynamic wallpapers. The virtual natural scenery resembles high noise, low definition AI generated works, as if immersed in a huge metaverse. This season’s runway show is likely very suitable for viewing through Vision Pro.
The model, dressed in punk makeup, walked out awkwardly at a beat, and the silhouette of the leopard print beaded long dress adopted a “hip pad skirt” inspired by the classic silhouette of fashion house founder Crist ó bal Balenciaga. Sew the shoulder pads that originally belonged to shaping the shoulders to the buttocks, creating an “unusual” visual effect on the waist and buttocks. Such buttock padded long skirts will appear in succession with different materials and designs, embodying Demna’s re creation of classic fashion structures.
The faux fur coat with a raised collar has a tufted surface, which is actually a deliberate effect of resin treatment. The quirky approach in today’s Balenciaga is very reasonable, after all, expensive and luxurious are two things.
A loose and shapeless suit, a pleated dress with classical elements but with hooked stockings underneath, and a deconstructed trench coat with indistinguishable cuffs, all presented in a unified aesthetic style that belonged to Demna’s signature style in the past season.
If the stubbornness of the above design is only considered as an appetizer, then when the background evolves to contemporary cities and is even filled with electronic screens, the main dish that challenges the taste buds is brought up. The staff uniform with eBay logo is loose and tight, and the jeans are flipped into a top, depicting a return to subcultural youth.
Transforming backpacks and dust bags into clothes is not Demna’s patent, but it is rare to witness the fun scene of upgrading and rebuilding at top luxury brand shows.
The idea of layering further breaks through boundaries, and the practice of putting two layers of camisole skirts on top of a T-shirt can be considered tricky, but the color scheme is unexpectedly harmonious. The prototype of lace suspenders is just a layer of pattern on the outside of tight pants. The order of dressing is being disrupted, and the chaotic aesthetic of styling is also like the ever-changing data vortex behind the model, challenging people’s visual limits.
Transparent tape wraps around the surface of clothes in an disorderly manner, bonding semi-finished products into a complete garment, seemingly echoing the daily behavior of express packaging.
The most experimental fashion methodology debuted, with Demna turning multiple pieces of clothing into one piece through the so-called “one minute quick design”. For example, three hoodies, swimsuit suspenders, and the stunning Final Look inner dress.
This is a fashion collection highly related to life in the Web 3.0 era, and it can even be said that Demna briefly became the creator, establishing a virtual utopia that only lasts for 15 minutes. The models are indigenous people, and the guests are visitors.
In fact, they do have a conscious sense of virtual characters, and most of the models on the runway also wear a futuristic full protective goggles. This is an integrated aerodynamic design developed by the team over several months, named “24/7 Mask” by Demna.
The leather tag with Balenciaga logo intentionally or unintentionally exposed from the rear, resembling a program error. However, this actually stems from Demna’s personal life experience. “I always forget to take off the price tag on my clothes,” he said. “This has also become a part of my style.”
When the constantly flashing electronic landscape screen goes out, everyone can see themselves in the darkness, and this “black mirror” simultaneously questions people’s initial question, what is luxury?
And the dazzling creativity presented by Demna this season has completed his self questioning and self answering as a fashion author. The unique skills showcased in 68 looks are enough for fashion fans to play for several seasons. His ultimate satirical skills have become a consensus in the industry, and exploring his black humor placed in details is a puzzle game for fashion enthusiasts every season.
Today’s fashion collections are mostly maintaining stability and a few are regressing; Some are celebrating, while others are plotting rebellion. Demna is the poker player in the counter team. Demna’s expression always carries a hint of a “black mirror” like temperament, but old and new problems no longer bother him.
“What really matters is not necessarily finding the answer, but the process of thinking about asking questions.”
