Balenciaga knows the power of an it-bag, and Demna’s new Monaco bag from the Winter 2023 runway show is hoping to be the House’s next success story. It was the first collection from Demna that aimed to take Balenciaga away from gimmicks and controversy, favouring slick silhouettes and demi-couture offerings at a House that needed to find itself again. It did so by going back to its roots, honouring Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre’s legacy.
Now comes the Monaco bag, spotlighted in a campaign featuring Eliza Douglas, Vittoria Ceretti, and Qin Lei, as well as a window takeover in retailers and boutiques worldwide. The bag itself is formed from plush, supple leather, naturally arriving in black with either gold-toned or silver-toned hardware.
Multiple versions arrive in either Arena leather (a House staple), or quilted thin calfskin leather, in both large and medium sizes. As the Winter 2023 collection rolls out, Balenciaga will also be presenting a line under the Monaco bag moniker, offering other bags, wallets, and cardholders.
Demna is hoping to bring Balenciaga into a new era by taking a step back from virality and moving towards craft. As such, the Monaco bag is designed to be worn under the arm for the utmost sophistication, however it can be worn across the body if one would prefer.
These moves see Demna stick to the points he raised in his Winter 2023 show notes: “Fashion has become a kind of entertainment, but often that part overshadows the essence of it, which lays in shapes and volumes, silhouettes, the way we create relationships between body and fabric, the way we make shoulder lines and armholes, the way clothes have an ability to change us. In the last couple of months, I needed to seek shelter for my love affair with fashion and I instinctively found it in the process of making clothes. It reminded me once again of its amazing power to make me feel happy and truly express myself. This is why fashion to me can no longer be seen as an entertainment, but rather as the art of making clothes.”
Hopefully, the Creative Director can stick to his guns for the upcoming Balenciaga SS24 runway this October.
You can purchase the Balenciaga Monaco bag via Balenicaga’s website and in its boutiques now.
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