|
Balenciaga by Nicholas Ghesquiere
By Godfrey Deeny
Photos by Gruber-FWD
Click on image to see bigger photo.
Paris, Oct 11, 2001/ FWD/ --- One of the most tedious things about writing catwalk reviews
is that it’s inherently difficult to invent something really new in fashion. Its essence,
after all, is wrapping fabric around the human figure.
That’s why it was such a pleasure to attend the Spring/Summer 2002 Balenciaga collection
designed by Nicholas Ghesquiere that was presented Thursday in Paris.
At little risk of exaggeration, this was the most original collection shown anywhere this
fall - no mean feat considering that between London, Milan, New York and Paris there are some
300 runway shows in any given season.
Staged in a former convent in St Germain, the show opened with a dozen patchwork looks -
mostly dresses - composed of Indian fabrics, paisleys, strips of metallic piping, panels of
sheer chiffon and padded Provencal appliqués.
The richness of ensemble was striking, as was the intricate, though never fussy, cut and
layering.
Ghesquiere used the same fabric mix on tops that he paired with rebuilt silk cargo pants in
surgeon’s green or astronaut’s silver. The sheer quirkiness in the choice of material and the
brilliance of the cut made the girls on the runway adorably special. And few looked prettier
than did stylist Tabitha Simmons, whose beaming boyfriend photographer Craig McDean sat front
row.
Next out came a series of outfits in pink silk and cotton that played magically with proportion
and form, as T-shirts morphed into sleeveless jackets and backless vests. Words really don’t
do justice to Ghesquiere’s creativity, as he sent out one after another path-breaking idea.
For his finale, the collection turned to black, showing off the designer’s trademark mastery
of detailing, like a black silk top with pleats at the back and hussar jackets hoops at the
front.
The collection marked the first Ghesquiere collection for Balenciaga since the Gucci group
acquired the house this spring. Underlining Gucci’s confidence in Ghesquiere, the luxury
group took the unprecedented step of giving the designer 8 percent of the house.
Gucci’s controlling shareholder Francois Pinault sat front row, clearly intrigued by the
whole proceeding. "I thought it was very creative. I can tell you we are very pleased with
this investment," Pinault told FWD.
Was there anything wrong with this show? Well, it was a pity that it didn’t include Christy
Turlington, whose incandescent beauty graces Balenciaga’s ready-to-wear ad campaign.
The other oddity was the complete lack of any accessories and the use of just one style
of shoe - a strapped high-heel - doubly surprising given that Gucci is the accessory house
par excellence.
Asked about this, Gucci president Domenico de Sole shrugged and smiled. "Independence for
the designer and respect for the freedom of the press," he said, taking a crack at the widely
criticized decision of rival luxury group LVMH to ban the prominent critic Suzy Menkes,
International Herald Tribune’s fashion editor, from its remaining Paris shows.
|
