THE SHOW IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS It started with the introduction of a new “Garde-Robe,” or wardrobe, of what Demna described as “upscale classic garments.” The offering, he said, was inspired by the relaunch of the house’s couture collection last year, which was built on a foundation of tailoring. Classic here meant suits and overcoats, cut in the oversized, drop-shoulder shape Demna favors, and which have become hugely influential at all levels of fashion in the wake of that couture debut.
The second element of the collection was eveningwear in the form of second-skin sequined gowns and silk trench dresses with trains whose supreme elegance wasn’t undercut by the pneumatic padded pumps they were worn with. In contrast, the super-sized lace-up boots that were paired with many of the show’s other looks and modeled by Ye in the front row were memeably outlandish in their proportions.
Part three showcased Demna’s collaboration with adidas. If he was trying to shake off the image of Balenciaga as a maker of high-class hoodies with Garde-Robe—and doing a bang up job of it—this section drove home the continued dominance of the sportswear category. There were tracksuits, scaled up t-shirts, boxer’s robes, and track dresses, all bearing adidas’s iconic stripes, a modified trefoil logo, or the Balenciaga name spelled in its partner’s lowercase typeface.
The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange serves as a runway for models whose identities are obscured by fetish bodysuits. Over this latex layer they wear the Spring 23 collection, a mix of ready-to-wear—the new Garde-Robe line, Eveningwear, and Balenciaga / adidas.
Garde Robe is made up of wardrobe staples in elevated cuts, sharp finishing, and luxe materials: wool, silk, gabardine, artisanal denim. Suiting, separates, and outerwear are pared down and redefined, without any branding other than bold silhouettes and precise tailoring with minimalist construction techniques.
Eveningwear is updated extra-formal attire: bodycon gowns, reconstructed tuxedos, floor-length silk trenches with trains.
A collaboration between Balenciaga and adidas recontextualizes elements of sportswear that have been a part of Balenciaga’s creative language. The line of ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, jewelry, and accessories are marked with a badge of sport or trefoil logo over the name Balenciaga in the lowercase adidas typeface.
