I think a lot of us have seen a continuous discourse over Demna's Balenciaga as a couture house and whether especially after their most recent collection they can even claim to operate as one considering the aesthetic of what they put onto the runway. These are bad faith arguments operating on a willing desire to prevent couture from embracing the deterritorialisation of wider subcultured aesthetic in favour of preserving design in rejection of creativity.

Let's face it, Balenciaga these days is not nearly as exciting as it used to be, and Demna's vision feels as cynical as ever. With this is mind, I find it shocking that I still remain enraptured as ever by the couture work that comes out of Balenciaga. This is something Demna could never achieve on his own, and is only granted by the prestigious position that he operates under at this storied luxury house.

Maybe I'm just being manipulated by my admiration of the effort heuristic, but the work put into the garments for Balenciaga's 53rd couture show is immense.

Looks 15 & 17 - "70 hours to hand-paint. Its motif is meant to recall music merch. To make the top true Couture, it was assembled in cotton terry molleton, cut, sewn, stonewashed, and faded entirely by hand. Its total assembly time is about 140 hours." Look 21 - "The beaded gown is intricately assembled and hand-distressed, featuring rounded and faceted beads sourced from Balenciaga’s deadstock. Each bead is meticulously embroidered onto stretch knit panels over eight weeks". Look 14 - "The faux fur coat is crafted from synthetic hair used for wigs, and was shaped and hand-dyed by the renowned hairstylist Gary Gill. The process, spanning two and a half months, involves hand-embroidering silk organza panels with treated strands.".

The context matters and this level of craft elevates the designs!

Artisanal Fashion

Balenciaga as a couture house

Richard Alexander Cooke