The Balenciaga spring 2023 show was hotly anticipated by the public for plenty of reasons. First, it made headlines for sending wads of fake cash as an invitation. Next, a rumoured collaboration with Adidas was swirling in the air thanks to a leaked sneaker prototype. Lastly, there was no confirmation on the show’s venue, leaving many to speculate where it would be held. From the get-go, the brand’s spring 2023 show was shrouded in secrecy. And true to form, it delivered on the surprise factor.
Balenciaga’s spring 2023 show ended up taking place on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange; a truly unpredictable, high-stakes and volatile environment that mirrored the maison’s daring, do-it-all attitude. The show was backdropped by a set of screens that flashed trading numbers and large company icons from companies like Walt Disney, Coca-Cola, Twitter, and the Bank Of America. At sporadic times, the screen glitches also added to the slightly ominous and dystopian ambiance.
For this presentation, Demna focused on the notion of the “American dream”. The show began with pulsating techno music that felt like a crossover between the soundtrack from The Matrix as well as musical duo Daft Punk’s epic discography. Alongside this, models came swathed in leather suits with their faces and heads hidden in black masks. The line-up also paid homage to the ’80s with strong padded shoulders, sharp power suiting, and slinky evening dresses.
The second half of the show saw a change in tempo, with the music having transitioned to a sombre cover of Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. Models walked out in coloured masks with playful ponytails and braids. A familiar three stripe logo updated with “Balenciaga” text was also spotted, which paved the way for the Balenciaga and Adidas collaboration. From plush hoodies and track jackets to football jerseys and T-shirts, they were “all marked with a badge of sport or trefoil logo over the name Balenciaga in the lowercase Adidas typeface” as per the show notes. True enough, it was a collaboration not to be missed.
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