When Donatella Versace put out a tribute collection of “the best of Versace” I assumed it was a random act. Then at Prada the infamous flame shoe made a reappearance on the catwalk. Now, having just left the Dorothee Schumacher party here in Paris where she too raided the archives of her first collection from 1989 and seeing Demna’s look back collection for Balencaiaga I’m officially stating- this is a bonafide fashion trend.

And it’s genius. Demna Gvasalia and Gucci’s Alessandro Michele are two of the most influential creative directors in the world. Balenciaga in particular can sell $400 socks and get away with it. Demna’s decision to put out a collection of Balenciaga best sellers is exactly what fans want right now. And he was very smart in that he prepared something for the loyal fans from the past and for his current die-hard fans.

For Balenciaga fall/ winter 2018-19 Demna recalled Nicholas Ghesquiere’s best work. Ghesquiere was one of the most successful creative directors to helm the brand. The motorcycle purse he designed drew celebs like Nicole Richie and Kim Kardashian (when Nicole was the popular one).  For the beginning of the fall/ winter 2018-19 Balenciaga fashion show Demna featured versions of Ghesquiere’s more iconic looks from his tenure at Balenciaga. An example was this little black dress worn by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry in the early 2000 teens.

This is the new little black dress by Demna for Balenciaga fall/ winter 2018-19

Another blast from the past on the runway today was the bandage dress. The draping on this Balenciaga by Ghesquiere version was super dreamy.

This is the new version by Demna for fall/ winter 2018-19.

By the second half of the show we saw Demna’s current influence on the famous brand via the anatomical coats and jackets he first presented in 2016.

This particular coat was very well received by the press. The coat even made an appearance on Olivia Pope on the American television show Scandal.

It’s no wonder Demna recreated a softer, more round version for his fall/ winter 2018-19 collection.

 

By the end of the Balenciaga fall/ winter 2018-19 show we came full circle to Demna’s true vision for the brand moving forward. It was more youthful, more street, nothing to flashy or overt. There were a lot of hoodies, some heritage checks and plaids for shirts and rompers. There really weren’t any defining design elements.

Outside of the strong color palette, the clothes were very basic, very simple – for the everyday working man and woman.

Honestly, i’m not loving it but I am fully aware I’m in the minority on this one.