Balenciaga: Nicolas Ghesquière Follows The Footsteps of the Master Illusionist
By Mari Davis

DALLAS, Mar 11, 2004/ FW/ --- Last week in Paris, Nicolas Ghesquière brought Balenciaga back to the Paris runway with an intelligent, chic and intriguing collection that makes fashion critics think that he is truly following the footsteps of Cristobal Balenciaga who had been dubbed as a master of illusion.

The late Cristobal Balenciaga had always envisioned the garment as a three-dimensional form, as an object encircling the body, which sometimes hugs it, but also spirals away, giving freedom of movement to the wearer.

He accepted that the human body is not always perfect; hence, to camouflage it, he would strategically place the waist low or high. His creations usually look simple, but it is the construction that is intricate. It is these talents that made him a master of illusion, always creating the perfect garment to the sometimes-imperfect body.

Nicolas Ghesquière, brimming with talent and ideas is following the footsteps of the late Spanish designer whose name the House bears. For Fall 2004, he mined the archives, and put forward a collection that has the spirit of Balenciaga with 21st century sensibilities.

First, he surprised the audience with 6 male models opening the show, the fifth one wearing a jacket trimmed with raw lamb’s wool. Then Stella Tennant appeared, wearing a jacket with lamb’s wool as lining and collar.

But the jacket has morphed into an artistic rendition of zippers, which were strategically placed as closures on the sleeves and two zippers sewn diagonally on the torso.

It was masculine clothing, followed by four more pants and jackets ensembles including Karolina Kurkova’s black biker jacket that hugged the waist and paired with a low-rise two-tone pants.

At this point, you’re thinking that Nicolas Ghesquière must be on an androgyny run, that is, until Liya Ebede walked in with a short jacket cropped below the bustline and paired with a sheered skirt that was constructed with a balloon.

And the famous Balenciaga silhouettes followed, with the waist strategically lower or higher, skirts that were billowing or structured. Nicolas Ghesquière’s trip to the Balenciaga archives hit a gold mine.

Like all of the Gucci-owned fashion houses, there is also uncertainty at the House of Balenciaga with Domenico De Sole and Tom Ford stepping down by the end of April.

Nicolas Ghesquière’s Fall 2004 collection should appease the new powers that be, because it’s truly a representation of the famous Balenciaga silhouette.

Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière

Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière

Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière

Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière