This is in no way a post about 'ooh, it's already ten years. It's time to reminisce about the past." Anyway isn't it a little too late to do it now.
1st row:
Spring Summer 2000: Dolman sleeves, sack dresses, slim pleated pants.
Fall Winter 2000: It was the 80's reinvented, but constructed without any hint of the past.
Spring Summer 2001: Pleated, ruffled, embroidered. Cut, twisted and manipulated in the most craziest way possible.
2nd row:
Fall Winter 2001: It was not just a Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga show, it was a show by a designer that was heralded as fashion's new big thing. Impeccably executed designs, amazing workmanship, it was nothing short of being the most watched show of the season.
Spring Summer 2002: Patchwork microdresses and jackets.
Fall Winter 2002: A mix of leather, oversized knitwear, and shaggy ivory coats
3rd row:
Spring Summer 2003: Surfing(Hawaiian surfer prints never looked this good), Diving, Baseball. "When it comes to absorbing and recasting influences, Ghesquiere is fashion's champion left fielder, and that's what puts him in a different league."
Fall Winter 2003: New proportions and intriguing shapes. These are what to become Nicolas's trademark: breaking the boundaries, playing fearlessly with new volumes and fabrics. And that propelled him to the top of the fashion hierarchy in no time.
Spring Summer 2004: Gasp, where's Balenciaga's signature pants? In its place were ultra-feminine silhouettes that had a futuristic edge to it, that were enough to satisfy our desire for the missing trousers.
4th row:
Fall Winter 2004: The ever-so famous (and chic) aviator jackets, and gazar balloon skirts from the archives of Cristobal Balenciaga.
Spring Summer 2005: It was a definitely more grown-up collection but still super chic and ultra-classy.
Fall Winter 2005: "What held it all together was the synthesis of vintage couture and Ghesquiere's sci-fi obsession."
5th row:
Spring Summer 2006: Frilly illy lace
Fall Winter 2006: It was more than just equestrian, it was of crazy volumes and new proportions. Exquisite couture-like show, something only Nicolas could produce such a show. Ranks as one of my favourite-st shows at Balenciaga (but then again, I have a lot of favourite-st shows at Balenciaga).
Spring Summer 2007: 'When I was young, I would have these dreams about the future, and this was what everyone wore."
6th row:
Fall Winter 2007: Jodhpurs, blazers, scarves, and ikat prints that fueled a global industry of knockoffs. Is this the biggest compliment a designer can get?
Spring Summer 2008: "This was Balenciaga in full bloom, a splashy riot of hypergorgeous hydrangeas, pansies, peonies, daffodils and anemones. Short sharp essays in couture technique" Pure genius.
Fall Winter 2008: A nightmare gone terribly good, a dream gone terribly wrong.
7th row:
Spring Summer 2009: Sci-fi couture. Ghesquiere works without references and narratives, pushing experimentation with new fabrics and cut to perfection.
Fall Winter 2009: 'When we go for something, you know, it's quite radical. So we drape kilometers and kilometers of satin.' Nicolas Ghesquiere.
Spring Summer 2010: "That kind of work can't be replicated anywhere else but in this house, and if there's an argument for high fashion versus low, this is one of the stronger defenses that exists." Sarah Mower.
