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Alexander Wang presented his debut collection for Balenciaga yesterday morning at 9.15am, and the world was on his shoulders. So, the 29-year-old designer did the honourable thing and looked to the roots of the house, taking Cristóbal Balenciaga’s signature cocoon coats and sack dresses and cutting his modern interpretations. Fabric was cut out and cut away, in stunning dresses that chequerboarded skin with fabric and folded open at the back, like the first few moves in a paper aeroplane. The word on everybody’s lips though, for the rest of the day, was ‘marble’, referring to the marble prints on fur and leather, a delicious design decision from Wang. Confident, rooted and respectful, the collection showed off his deserving skills, but quietly, this time. Here i-D Fashion Director Charlotte Stockdale shares her thoughts…
“It was a very beautiful collection. The fabric development was incredible and the cutting too. You could see the workmanship and the know how in every garment. I think he coped extremely well with the expectation that hovered over him, and what he delivered was incredibly beautifully made, desirable and edgy. It was very very cool, and the marble furs at the end were exceptional. He has this hard edge, that remains feminine, but it is very hard, and that’s where the beauty of his design lies. There were these cut out dresses that were very couture, and sexy as hell. It’s not easy to do hard, cool and elegant all together, and really hit each one, but he did it. He nailed it.”
Text: Sarah Raphael
Photography: Courtesy of Balenciaga
