Paris Fashion Week has been nothing shy of exciting. In the latest highlight of the iconic fashion week, Balenciaga took an unconventional route when it came to its Spring/Summer 2022 show.
Models mixed with celebrities flooded the red carpet which was also posed as the runway for the latest collection. An excited crowd of fans and photographers could be heard as models strutted the carpet and posed in the Summer 2022 pieces that were indeed red-carpet and street-style ready. Essentially, guests were modeling all the while participating in the traditional Hollywood-style occasion. Figures like Lewis Hamilton, Offset, Elliot Page, Amber Valletta, and more were amongst the models for show.
Other familiar faces were attendance including Cardi B and her stylist Kollin Carter, Michele Lamy, and Naomi Campbell.
Pushing boundaries by combining fashion and pop cultural entertainment, the Summer 2022 presentation included a screening of a special collaborative episode between Balenciaga and animated comedy show The Simpsons, a show creative director Demna Gvasalia has always loved. The 10-minute viewing takes place during Marge Simpson’s birthday of which Homer Simpson requested a Balenciaga gown to fulfill her longtime wish of having a piece from brand. The gesture influenced an animated Gvasalia to include everyday people from the city of Springfield to be in his next show in Paris, which the Simpson family models in. The exclusive episode includes many humorous references such as Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in the front row wearing their 2020 Halloween costumes, Anna Wintour shedding a tear that is reserved for a perfume bottle of “Wintour No. 9”, and jokes surrounding Balenciaga’s prices and the pronunciation of the brand’s name. There are also appearances of pieces from past Balenciaga collections shown in the visual as well.
The 64-piece collection continues the Balenciaga aesthetic of reimagined ready-to-wear with silhouettes that either cling to the body or drape slightly off due its super oversized nature. While the color palette was overall muted, pops of pinks and blues matched with shimmering silver foil-like material and vibrant prints like polka dots made for standout details. Also, accessories definitely made themselves seen and known as the brand introduced new and reinterpreted footwear, eyewear, handbags, and jewelry. Not to mention, a new metal-studded platform Balenciaga x Crocs shoe made its way down the red carpet-runway as apart of their ongoing collaboration.
Balenciaga’s Summer 2022 collection not only offered a playful take on fashion, but it showed that the brand truly cannot be placed in a box when it comes to the actual pieces and even presentations.
Explore more moments from Balenciaga’s Summer 2022 show below:
Thoughts? You can view the Balenciaga Summer 2022 runway and exclusive The Simpsons episode on YouTube.
Photos: Balenciaga / Tomas Herold
