PFW diary: A beautiful balance at Balenciaga

Woke up with a smile knowing I had a Balenciaga ticket in hand! After a gulping a cappuccino, I dashed down the Rue de Rivoli to the Hotel Crillon where paparazzi lined the entrance waiting for fashion photo ops. It doesn’t matter how dressed I get for these things, there will always be someone better. This morning, it was a woman in a red Balmain studded moto jacket who got those cameras snapping.

The show took place in a gilded ballroom overlooking the Place de la Concorde. Nicolas Ghesquière’s first look out was a bomber jacket that seemed knitted from tubes of leather. The smooth, thick “yarn” also appeared in fishnet layers over bright T-dresses. But the real stars of the show were the drape-y tri-colour tunics over leggings, and the folded floral skirts. It all felt very ultra-modern Indian and Japanese with a beautiful balance of femininity and rocker girl⎯styles that many of us draw on depending on the time and place.

Often, a designer puts his or his fantasy looks on the runway, but back at the showroom there are lots of watered down versions to order from. But according to Holt Renfrew vice-president of fashion direction Barbara Atkin, this was the type of show a buyer could walk into the showroom and say, “I’ll take it all.”

Catch a peek of the fabulous finale, complete with Ghesquière’s bow!

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