“At Balenciaga, wearing clothes inspires new clothes,” Demna has said in a Vogue review, a statement that succinctly and aptly describes his sociologically driven design ethos. In technical terms, Demna translates aspects of embodied cultural capital -- the statement "It's not what you wear, it's how you wear it" but actually cut into the clothes. The insouciant backwards shrug of a shirt is built into the garment through a tilted armhole that rebalances a collar up, a neck backwards, the 90s sag of a trouser is cut as a long, dropped rise.
Here, the adaptability and resourcefulness of humanity comes to the fore, with stacked trompe l’oeil fronts referencing the look of regular people layering whatever garments are available to protect themselves from bitter cold. The look is sociological and multifaceted. Juxtaposed next to the manmade, graffiti-covered snowy “mountain,” it could be seen as a similar sort of collage, or a piece of armor…or a statement about extreme changes in climate. Contrasted against the sleek, technological, 3D modeled and moulded tailoring shown at the start of the show, the layered looks are seen as a comment on the waste that the fashion industry produces, or an alternative way to cut those architectural “Balenciaga” volumes. In the end, looking at the jacket, one really feels that reality can be stranger than fiction, and the biting irony that an assemblage of the most quotidian garments could become and redefine glamour and extravagance.
Compared to the 7-layer parkas, these layered long coats feature a more involved reconstructed look. The outer grafts multiple leather jackets onto a long wool overcoat with insulation left showing at the armholes, while on one of the middle layers the front yoke of a denim jacket is spliced onto a nylon parka body. The body is double lined, with both rainbow tiger stripe faux fur and oversized diamond quilted lining. A sweatshirt hood is sewn as if it’s sandwiched between collars, pushing it forward and giving it a funnel-like effect. Each layered jacket front has its own closure, including zippers, snaps, and buttons. The curved leather sleeves feature zippered cuffs.
Mixed Material, inc. Leather, Wool, Cotton, Nylon, Polyester
Made in Italy 10/10 Condition, new with tags.
Fit Notes: Tagged a size 36, basically one size fits all due to the dramatically oversized fit.
