Balenciaga Spring 2010 Collection, a crafted look into the future of fashion

By Sandrine Goncalvès

Under the chandeliers of the luxurious Hotel Crillon, Balenciaga has presented its summer 2010 collection that revealed itself much more sportswear than usual. Those who expected to see the common parade of cocktail dresses, were amazed at the multiplication of slim pants and hooded jackets.

Nicolas Gesquière, the artistic director of the brand, actually said he wanted to reconnect with his first love, which is urban fashion. He then left evening gowns aside in favor of looks more urban, sporty and futuristic. He really wanted to revive his old style, the same that witnessed a huge success during the presentation of the fall/winter collection in 2007/2008.

Being a true lover of science fiction and new technology and being a great admirer of haute couture, Nicolas Guesquière decided to express the balance between all these worlds by combining exceptional craftsmanship and sophisticated technology. If you look closely at the hooded jackets for example, which first look seemingly simple, you will realize that they are composed of extremely complicated knitted pieces of leather.

Leather work is actually very developed and it is maybe the most important part of this collection. Nicolas Guesquière not only played on a combination of different types of leathers, but he also attached very much importance to the shapes and cuts. Indeed, he worked hand in hand with a really talented Parisian artisan specialized in the weaving of this special material. The pieces of leaser were laser cut and than hand-colored using vegetable dyes.

The details of the clothes are finally always very impressive. Some other prooves of this meticulous work are the mini-skirts that are composed of a multitude of small loops of leather that certainly required countless hours of work. Leather can be found everywhere, from the hooded jackets to the skinny trousers. It is also present in the shape of strips adorning muslin tops or in blue or orange squares stuck in dresses. This is probably the first time that this type of material is so much worked upon in a single collection.

The first group of models who walked through the hotel rooms was called “the dark” or “the grudge” because it really resembled a small army of Templars in hoodies.
One must not forget that there is always a touch of fantasy and darkness in the work of Nicolas Guesquière, which is such a huge fan of horror movies. The second part of the show was called “the scratch” because each piece of clothe offers a detail to discover, be it a layer, a special cut or an opening. What is also always remarkable is Nicolas Guesquière’s taste for solid textures and thick volumes.

This fashion adventurer, as many call him, claims to be back to his own personal roots with these urban figures, the graphics and simple shapes that perfectly represent the woman who lives in the city. With Balenciaga and especially Nicolas Gesquière, searching for past references is truly irrelevant as one always has the feeling he is viewing an innovative approach of fashion, a true expression of avant-garde.