While the likes of Gucci, Chanel and Louis Vuitton headed for sun-soaked, coastal locations to showcase their Cruise 2023 collections, Balenciaga decided to do things a little differently this season (once again) – and set its latest show on the busy trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
While the usual Wall Street crowd recovered from another busy working week, the trade floor filled instead with the high fashion in-crowd and Balenciaga's longtime supporters including Ye, Chloë Sevigny and Pharrell Williams. Even the New York mayor Eric Adams made the Sunday morning pilgrimage downtown – but most surprising was the arrival of Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn, who appeared to have undergone a full 'Balenciaga-ification' and swapped her usual Barbie-pink for a Demna-approved, Matrix-inspired look.
Back on the catwalk itself, the models too were unrecognisable in full latex bodysuits which obscured their identities entirely – leaving a blank, if highly fetishistic, canvas on which to showcase the French fashion house's Spring 23 collection.
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First up was Demna's new 'Garde-Robe' line, made up of trader-chic wardrobe staples of smart coats, sharp tailoring and pussy-bow blouses elevated by bold silhouettes and ultra-luxe materials – all very Jordan Belfort-adjacent, if not for the spectacle-topped gimp masks. This gave way to a section of glamorous eveningwear updates including body-con gowns, floor-length silk trenches with trains and reconstructed tuxedos.
But the highlight of the collection had to be a first look at the long-rumoured Balenciaga x adidas collaboration. Think sportswear classics with a Demna twist, a mish-mash of the two brand logos emblazoning oversized denim, hoodies, tracksuits, sports bags and shoes in primary-colour brights.
A selection of the adidas capsule was available to purchase straight after the show, much to the delight of hypebeasts the world over – and simultaneously acting as a fitting conclusion to a show that served as a stark reminder that in fashion too, it's money that makes the world go round.
Clementina Jackson is Acting Site Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, working across news and features, trends, e-commerce and SEO. She was previously Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, and Acting Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, where she was named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner for her work on size inclusivity. An experienced fashion, travel and luxury lifestyle journalist, Clementina has also written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Red and Italy Segreta.
