Balenciaga’s FW25 show was a reminder that fashion should be wearable - but what “wearable” means to each person is a completely different thing. Inspired by a study of “standard dress codes,” Demna’s runway saw business attire, sportswear, daywear, evening wear, and more all transformed under his vision.
In a show space that was actually a maze where everyone sat front row, the sound of models stomping from the next section over could be heard before they were seen. The first look around the corner was a simple black suit and tie, which then appeared again and again, seen on four models consecutively, styled in different ways.
The way the suits were styled differently is a reminder that it’s the wearer who adds personality to a fit - Balenciaga’s clothes are just clothes until they’re put on. These were followed an office siren-style corseted white shirt, and suit pants paired with a black quilted jacket, before we entered the “daywear” section of the show.
Cashmere coats, hooded nylon puffers, a shearling parka, and Balenciaga’s now familiar take on the trench characterised this section which was an ode to outerwear, before the FROW started noticing something different: the Puma logo on jackets and joggers, as part of a new collab that debuted on the runway.
Finally, Balenciaga’s evening wear made it’s appearance, with “swimdresses’ in water-sport spandex, a variety of belted floor-length jackets in leather and faux fur, and finally a black puffer gown that struggled to make it down the narrow runway. These were still dispersed amongst puffer jackets and joggers, a symbol that Balenciaga’s collection coexists in one world.
Demna’s FW25 Balenciaga might have felt familiar or even repetitive, but that’s because it’s inspired by you, your mates, your mum, and your neighbour. The root of the collection is in the everyday, so of course we feel like we recognise it - we were supposed to.
Featured image via Balenciaga©
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