Nicolas Ghesquière does not base his work on what will be trendy or fashion of the moment, but instead seems to work on impulse and inspiration. So even though
Vogue has renounced rock and roll, looking instead to a lady-like look, Ghesquière continues to pursue his own ideas. His latest collection for Balenciaga—one of my very favorite fashion houses—takes inspiration from the street style of punks. Some of the pieces within the show seemed to have an influence by way of Tokyo, while others spoke to London's punk credibility. I couldn't help but to look fondly upon all the houndstooth and recall McQueen's Fall/Winter 2009 collection. I don't mean to assert it was a reference, but it spoke to me. The play on masculine versus feminine established a unique strength that Nicolas so expertly infuses in his designs. Boyish pants and flat, clunky menswear inspired shoes pointed to the former, but ultimately did not seem mannish. The designer's experimentation with fabrics continued as well with plastic-like lace being the most intriguing. The show's cast was also notable, with several next-to-unknowns, Miranda Kerr, Amber Valetta, Stella Tennant, and Gisele Bündchen walking the catwalk. In more ways than one, Nicolas Ghesquière broke rules this season, and the result is absolutely gorgeous.
Milou van Groesen
Bambi Northwood-Blyth
Delfine Bafort
Jaime Bochert
Delfine Bafort
Bo Don
Katie Fogarty
Stella Tennant
Kasia Struss
Kirsi Pyrhonen
Julia Nobis
Freja Beha Erichsen
Gisele Bündchen
Photos via style.com
