Balenciaga
When Alexander Wang moved to Cristobal Balenciaga’s storied house, it was hard to imagine him filling Nicholas Ghesquiere’s shoes. The rounds of angsty, tormented Tweets from fashion lovers about the news that surrounded the announcement didn’t exactly help matters. And yet, two seasons in, Alexander Wang’s vision for the house is beginning to make sense. For spring he’s managed to merge his sporty sensibility (running shorts and crop tops, for example) with the more refined, traditional codes of the house (those curved, sculptural shapes, most notably) in a way that looks surprisingly seamless. It’s Alexander Wang’s DNA, but richer and more refined. The question is, will the Balenciaga customer buy it? It’s clearly a new day at the house, the clothes look lighter, more youthful, and easier to wrap your head around than Nicholas’s more conceptual, intellectually rigorous work. But regardless of what the house’s loyalists think, this collection will most definitely introduce the brand to a younger girl — and, I’m betting, a wider audience. Wasn’t that the point? That said, what will this collection mean for your wardrobe? Pastels are officially in. But you’ll have plenty of edgier versions to choose from, such as the textured pink skirt and short combos that opened the show. Leggy, thigh grazing dresses will also be inescapable come spring. So break out your razors.
