Create real clothes for real people. This was the mission that started in the 30s with Cristóbal Balenciaga and his refusal of every beauty canons that at the times characterized Paris’ ateliers. Almost a century passed by, and many things changed, but this is still the goal of Balenciaga. Today, the man in charge of respecting this philosophy is Demna Gvasalia, one of the most controversial designers of the fashion system, who every season surprise us with his creations. The Spring/Summer 2021 collection was no exception, in a period where everything changed, the fashion show took place in the streets of Paris. The models walked down the boulevards on the sidewalks and in the middle of the chaotic traffic while humming the remix of the 80s hit “Sunglasses At Night” by Corey Hart.
Many were the elements inspired by the archive of the brand and recontextualized, but streetwear was the real protagonist. This is the time to offer functional pieces that can be worn every day and in every situation. A press release specified: “93.5% of the plain materials in this collection are either certified sustainable or upcycled. 100% of the print bases have sustainable certifications.” Thanks to the resources of the Kering Group at hand, Gvasalia said, “we discovered we could do it quite easily, with the exception of the fibers that are in some of the existing fabrics. There are solutions if you look for them. There’s a need to revise things. To start a new chapter.”
