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For better or worse, Balenciaga's comeback to fashion gave us the impression that Balenciaga never really left.
For the first time since their 2022 scandal, Balenciaga made a comeback with the presentation of its Winter 2023 collection on March 5th during Paris Fashion Week.
Although the runway show was a subdued affair, the fact that it was held inside Paris' famous underground shopping mall Carrousel du Louvre, surrounded by throngs of bewildered and excited tourists, seemed to be an extension of Balenciaga's playful side.
In the show notes for Balenciaga, Demna took readers on a journey from the beginning of his ongoing love affair with fashion to the most recent few months, where he acknowledged the need to "seek shelter."
Rumors suggested that even the creative director wasn't present. But even though he didn't leave the stage at the end of the performance, Demna was backstage talking to the media.
The models arrived dressed in a playful mash-up of structured tailoring, floral dresses, and Balenciaga's typically alien sportswear, all of which was set to the tranquil notes of a piano that became more electronically warped as the show went on. The white-washed room collapsed into an eerie silence as the Balenciaga show itself began.
High-necked sequin gowns, floral dresses, boxy leather jackets, big-shouldered blazers, enormous denim layers, and bug-eyed sunglasses were all present and correctable in the collection.
Since the expansive social media backlash over its 2022 holiday gifting campaign, Balenciaga has mostly kept quiet until now. Now, this Balenciaga collection represents a divisive return that some fans are all too ready for. Others, not so much.
Balenciaga initially made an effort to contain the situation by issuing a number of statements of regret from its staff, CEO, and creative director, Demna, but the controversy grew out of all bounds.
The house eventually deleted its Instagram and remained silent until it announced a partnership with the National Children's Alliance, promoted the Balenciaga Garde-Robe collection, and teased the Fall/Winter 2023 runway show.
It comes as no surprise that Balenciaga is now looking to hire a vice president of communications, especially someone who can manage a crisis.
Demna hinted that the collection would be "simple" before the show, alluding to the values that house founder Cristobal Balenciaga had instilled. True to his word, there were no crazy Balenciaga gimmicks that one may have expected like mud catwalks, $1,000+ trash bags, or completely destroyed sneakers at the show.
