GRAPHIC CONTENT
A new book celebrates the house of Balenciaga
Balenciaga, the storied Spanish couture house, has been through several incarnations since it opened a small boutique in San Sebastian in 1917. Indeed, today its radical direction under the stewardship of artistic director Demna Gvasalia has well and truly infiltrated the fashion zeitgeist. The trend for those ubiquitous “ugly sneakers” can be attributed to Demna’s version of Balenciaga and, while his love of streetwear and youth subcultures permeates his work, traditional couture techniques passed through generations are still a major part of the brand’s DNA. Demna’s first book for the house, released this month, captures one particular defining collection — the winter 2018 collection of oversized separates, slick 3D-printed tailoring and layered outerwear. Balenciaga: Winter 18, published by Rizzoli, gives readers an all-access pass into the world of the fashion house and what it looks like today, with stunning photographs by PierreAnge Carlotti and Johnny Dufort, who were the only photographers allowed backstage, to rehearsals and in the atelier leading up to the collection’s presentation in Paris. The collection’s psychedelic colour combination of neon and primary hues makes for arresting images, a graffiti-strewn exterior at the actual show providing the perfect backdrop and making its way on to the cover of this luxurious new tome of more than 300 pages of cutting-edge fashion. “With this show, even backstage looked like a story,” said Demna. “I realised that every show I do from now on for Balenciaga is cinematographic in terms of concept and setup, and each of them I’d like to accompany with some memorabilia, something that actually puts you into that show and the process behind it.” — Dan Ahwa