January 29, 2008...7:08 am
Pre-Fall: Balenciaga
One of the greatest pleasures I get out of flipping through designer collections is seeing how each designer continues to roll out his/her own distinct, signature looks and yet manages to innovate and bring something new every time. This play of what-will-always-be with the what-is is what makes runway fashion fresh and highly anticipated.
For me, the jackets of Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga are always something to behold.
They are decidedly bourgeois - but when paired with something unexpected (like the purple spotted shirt in the last picture), it acquires a street edge, a coveted cool.
Most good collections are unwilling to be confined to just one story. In the case of pre-fall Balenciaga, there are three: bourgeois, grunge and classic.
The grunge element of the collection mixes the femininity and softness of floral dresses with heavy, black shearling vests (note: shearling appears to be a popular choice of material for pre-fall).
Then there’s the classic - you can’t get more classic than the Little Black Dress.
I’m still waiting for Balenciaga to disappoint 
It doesn’t look like the day will come any time soon!
Still lusting for a Balenciaga-ish jacket,
Dottie
(All photos: Style.com)
9 Comments
January 29, 2008 at 8:16 am
i think Balenciaga does structure in fabric very well. but somehow they haven’t excited me since s/s 07
January 29, 2008 at 10:12 am
I agree with Ellen, the fabric is good but I am not sure about the design. It’s funky and I am not sure how many people can wear it everyday!
January 29, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Hi ellen and Nousha
I totally agree on the structured fabric! Maybe I’m just very taken with the way he does the fabric, but I think the way I will wear Balenciaga will be to wear each piece on its own instead of an ensemble, so as to make them more suitable for every day wear
Mix and match to dress it up or down.
January 29, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I won’t be a Balenciaga custimer for at least a couple of years, but the way Nicolas Ghesquiere does clothes is nothing short of stunning. This collection is a good one for people who were fans of AW07/08- it’s a new direction that doesn’t betray the original intentions of the house. And I totally fancy those LBDs and jackets too.
January 29, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Hi Blue Floppy Hat
Yes, I am a Balenciaga fan because I really like the way Ghesquiere does his clothes. And don’t worry, you’re not alone - I won’t be a Balenciaga customer for a long, long time yet!
January 29, 2008 at 8:42 pm
hi dottie:
i suppose there is a difference between admiring his clothes and wearing them!
i will wear some of his clothes of course because of the structure and the details each piece has but i am just not bowled over. yet.
January 29, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Hi walnutrice
I both admire and really want to wear his clothes - just not all of them at the same time
For me, pure admiration is reserved for the haute couture shows. Other than that, we can always try to work with it 
January 30, 2008 at 2:02 am
hi Dottie
just passing by to say hello and that the last model in your post, i photographed her when she was coming out of her hotel during the Paris fashion week Haute couture.
I’ve done dome improvement in my blog and I’ll be glad to have your feeling about if.
thank’s and congratulation for your work
Kamel
street style romancer of Paris
January 31, 2008 at 3:25 pm
that’s is a good pre-fall collection. i like the shapes, the textures.the only pieces i don’t like are the jacket from the 2nd photo and the blue polka-dot shirt
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