yesterday once more
Baly strikes Back with yet another riveting ‘retro sportswear’ colection.
Bally presents a love affair with nostalgia for its spring/ summer 2019 collection. Visually speaking, the collection is inspired by color photos from the ’70s and ’80s. In particular, Bally looked at the works and travels of two acclaimed American photographers: Joel Sternfeld, recognized for his large-format color photographs, and Stephen Shore, known for his depiction of banal scenes as well as pioneering color in art photography. Altogether, Bally’s spring/ summer 2019 offerings are defined—much like last season’s collection— through retro sportswear.
Reworked Classics
Compared to last year, Bally’s collection for 2019’s spring/summer season is more subdued. While still very much adventurous, it is more wistful and evokes a strong sense of wanderlust. The colors featured reflect and evoke the golden age of color photography, with the use of muted hues and sepia tones, interspersed with bolder tones of emerald, poppy red and gold for a contemporary touch. Case in point: The pair of sunglasses with oversized and square acetate frames in bold red that is unforgivingly retro, yet classic.
And while we’re talking of eyewear, 2019 also marks the launch of Bally’s collaborative venture with the Marcolin Group.
From the Archives
Besides looking into the visuals of the’70s, Bally also dug into its own rich archives. Most notable were references to the brand’s hometown at Schônenwerd, Switzerland. The new Vulko sneakers, for example, feature longitude and latitude coordinates of Schônenwerd stamped on the outsole. Same goes for Bally’s leather Champion sneakers with red and turquoise detailing, which is actually a reissue of the model worn by famous Swiss tennis players like Jakob Hlasek and Marc Rosset during its golden period in the ’90s.
For bags, notable archival details include the Super Smash logo, noticeable through its two stripes embossed with the Bally “B.” These were seen on top of duffle bags and backpacks, which, in turn, are also available in canary yellow to reflect the nostalgic mood of the ’70s. The wistful feeling was further amplified with the introduction of Bally’s multi-pocketed crew backpack in faux shearling and topped with the words “A Place Called Elsewhere.”
At the end, what Bally offered for the spring/ summer 2019 season extends much further than clothes and accessories, but presents a momentary escape to a simpler time, one set away from today’s hyper-connected and fastpaced world.