Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2024 Couture - Review

With cocooning wrap dresses and butterfly shades, Balenciaga’s couture show explored themes of change and rebirth. A soundtrack of guided meditation led the array of alternative models through weaving rooms, laden in heaps of clothing and references to some trendier Balenciaga ready-to-wear pieces. 

The show began with a mirage of oversized jackets and layered denim. Balanced on each models head sat wide brimmed hats some covered in feathers, a trend for this couture week, and some draped with stretch cotton fabrics. The boxy forms of fabric, broken up by the structured point shoes that seemed impossibly long, had me concerned but intrigued as to where Demna was taking this collection. An exploration of making everyday fashion couture with grey sweatsuit sets made stiff through the use of satin scuba material and impossibly oversized seemed both at home and at odds with the neutral homely setting of the show. 

What followed were a series of similar ensembles but this time paired with large butterfly shaped sunglasses. Surreal seemingly at odds with the ordinary. Quickly followed by bulking dresses made up of huge amounts of different clothing items. Each paired with a clutch emblazoned with sports jersey numbers, a call back to the popular Balenciaga football shirt which was also seen attached to some of these heaped dresses.  

From these larger than life piles we found tight fitting body on dresses, some made of repeating wrapping motifs such as leather belts and coloured fabric and some were more in line with previous Balenciaga with all black clean lines. Giving the models these constricted walks, completely at odds with how we began the collection. 

Seemingly an exploration of the feeling of constriction and of freedom much like a butterfly may feel in a cocoon or once it is finally reborn. Also themes of embracing the new with the use of materials like denim in couture, an idea that is new to the space. Breaking up the continuous stream of tulle and beading. Seeing this push and pull of subversion to the silhouette was very interesting, and though I’m sure controversial, it set Balenciaga apart from the crowd.

To watch the Balenciaga show yourself, head over to YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/live/flw9J52IGqU?si=eWGRER3q_VmkyjhX

Let us know your thoughts on the collection down in the comments!