Balenciaga's Post-Scandal Runway Return

It's no secret that it has been a rough couple of months for Balenciaga. The storied French house founded in 1919 faced huge backlash a few months ago after featuring children in an inappropriate manner in one of its advertising campaigns and subsequently was removed from the Haute Couture fashion week calendar in January. While the brand has since partnered with a children's organization as a move to restore its image, Balenciaga and its creative director Demna have largely been silent since the scandal. As such, Balenciaga's fall 2023 ready-to-wear showing was a HIGHLY anticipated event on the fashion month calendar. How would Demna address the brand's current situation through his designs and presentation?

The first obvious change was the extremely paired back set. For reference, Balenciaga has staged shows In the midst of a fake snowstorm and at the New York Stock Exchange, so the all-white space was a noticeable difference. The co-ed collection's first look, an austere, all-black suit which set the tone for the direction of the collection was another clear sign of the brand's new direction. Demna mentioned that he used this show as an opportunity to get back to his love of designing clothes. As such, many of the silhouettes harkened back to his earlier days at the house, as well as designs created by Balenciaga's founder Cristobal. The collection transitioned from tailored pieces largely in black and gray to pleated dresses for women in plain and printed fabrics that, while structured, still felt lighter than the show's first section.

For men, the collection moved into more casual looks featuring sculptural jackets and outerwear paired with tailored trousers and shorts, different from the oversized silhouette we have seen on many menswear runways and that Demna himself helped popularize. The show ended with seven evening gowns that, while black and sliver, were anything but boring as they featured heavy embroidery and beading details. At the collections close it was evident that one thing was intentionally missing from the clothes, the brand's logo. Moving forward, the logo will no longer be prominently featured as it once had been on the house's clothes and accessories. While some of this is certainly a part of the overall shirt in creative direction, let's be clear, the brand has to sell and more people than not might be comfortable wearing Balenciaga if it is less obvious that they are.

(Thumbnail Photo: Carlo Scarpato/Gorunway.com/Vogue)