Luxury house BALENCIAGA unveiled their Autumn Winter 2022.23 Haute Couture Collection, that fuses advanced technology and traditional techniques, on July 6th, during the ongoing Paris Fashion Week. This is the brand’s 51st Couture Collection, and Demna’s 2nd for the House. For the collection designer collaborated with artisans and industrial design visionaries to add another layer of technical craftsmanship and technological innovation. The collection features Japanese limestone-based neoprene, as a modern version of Gazar, the fabric invented for Cristóbal Balenciaga. The face shields are engineered by a division of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd, their aerodynamism, anti-fog capability, and breathability was developed over months of testing. Over a quarter of the collection is made with upcycled items. Balenciaga enlisted stars such as Nicole Kidman, Dua Lipa, and Kim Kardashian, as well as supermodels Julia Nobis, Naomi Campbell, and Bella Hadid to walk the show.
“Paillettes create illusory effects with unconventional textures, alluding to raw edges with meticulously finished embroidery. A trompe l’oeil tweed is achieved by interspersing organza or jersey ribbons with beads and sequins. A crystal-beaded fishnet gown, sequined dresses, and jet-beaded jeans take up to thousands of hours to hand-sew. T-shirts are bonded with aluminum, creating an entirely new fabric that holds its shape when manipulated. Japanese denim is indigo selvedge washed, satin-lined, and finished with silver-plated buttons. Corsetry is incorporated into men’s tops, creating extreme silhouettes alongside Basque waist wool coats.
Draped dresses with trains, capes, scarf tops, bows, and gathered skirts reinterpret archival pieces with exclusive colors, specially developed fabric treatments, shiny coatings, extreme silhouettes, and hand-manipulated paillettes. A veiled wedding gown made with 250 meters of varying tulle references an archival motif. Its 7,500-hour embroidery process uses 25 types of paillettes and beads, including 70,000 crystals, 80,000 silver leaves, and 200,000 sequins.” – from Balenciaga
