In the bustling city of Shanghai, the skyline lit up with buildings displaying the ‘BALENCIAGA’ logo for the iconic house’s Spring 2025 collection. With a riverfront view at the picturesque Art Podung Museum, models graced the entire show in the pouring rain. Onlookers gawked underneath a crowd of black umbrellas, creating a moody scene.
The first half of the show was menswear, hallmarked by exaggerated renditions of wardrobe staples. Everything was cartoonishly large, yet muted in palette. From giant shoulder pads to extra long sleeves, the element of drama was the leader in this show. Sky-high chunky platform boots gave the models a larger than life quality, some nearly towering over the crowd.
The sweet spot between flow and form was the main ingredient for each look. Loose with nods to leisure wear, an array of lightweight trousers and jackets flowed in the wind on the runway, accented by the models’ jagged movements. Even the jeans were relaxed, styled sagged and ruched dramatically down the leg. Balenciaga continued in its tongue-in-cheek fashion, adding elements of humor with wacky accessories including a giant shoe box and gold chain purse straps embellished with tattered shoelaces.
The womenswear looks were the most inventive of the show, repositioning fashion cliches with effortlessly cool elements. The antithesis of the recent “office-siren” trend was the first women’s look to emerge on the runway. Gracing an undefined dress (other than the large shoulder pads, of course) and a baseball cap, the women’s wear opener swayed while sporting a bag with a long detached strap that danced along the hemline of the dress. Charming details such as this are sprinkled throughout the collection, somehow giving effortless but not disheveled.
Standout flowing wrap dresses emerged as the show continued, bringing much needed life and color to the collection. Bomber jackets made a return, paired with illusion over the knee boot jegging tights — yes, you read that right — hailing the resurgence of trends from the last decade. Reimagined as multifunctional pieces, roomy button-down shirt dresses and trench coats were the standouts of the show.
Always poking fun at its consumer in lighthearted fun, each of Balenciaga’s customer archetypes are explored in the collection. Born from the brand’s identity of constantly pushing the envelope, each trend was contorted to an unconventional adaptation.
Balenciaga’s spring 2025 runway was a mirror, providing the anticipating audience a glimpse of recognition due to their own adherence (or rebellion) to trends. Out of nearly 60 looks, there were at least a few that invite the viewer to reminisce during this cultural advent of nostalgia. The magical ability to merge years of recycled style into fresh looks was the true beauty of this collection.
View the full collection here.
Comments