Nicolas Ghesquière made a big impact with his Spring show. The boyish first-time models he cast have quickly become some of the hottest, hardest-to-book catwalkers around. But the Balenciaga designer is hardly one to stand in place. The masculine silhouettes of his most recent collection have been shaken and stirred; pre-fall still feels "street," but there's a more feminine sensibility overall.
That's partly a function of his focus on updating archival Edition pieces in his pre-collections—the standout this season being a black trapeze coat-dress Cristobal designed for Spring 1966. But it also has to do with Ghesquière's embrace of boldly colorful India-influenced prints. He used them for a form-fitting dress that flared into an A-line below the hips as well as an unstructured tank dress with a deep slit up the side of the leg. In addition, many of the looks were accessorized with a leather peplum belt (an integral element, back in the day, of Cristobal's signature volumes). Also in the lineup were simple silk tunic dresses worn over razor-thin pants and needle-heeled pumps, a two-for-one look that's gaining traction this week.
If the outfits Ghesquière referred to as "wellness wear"—think alpaca fur jacket, tunic over trousers, plus trainers, as if his woman were heading straight from the gym to work—had a tongue-in-chic feel, there was lots more here that was simply chic. The outerwear in particular, specifically a navy peacoat with a shearling collar and the reversible bombers, had several admirers at our appointment.
