Making his ‘official’ menswear debut for the fashion house Balenciaga, Alexander Wang has proven himself worthy of the crown and legacy left behind by his predecessor Nicolas Ghesquière.
When it comes to taking over the helm of an already established brand, designers are often faced with a lose-lose situation; they can either be criticized for having no understanding of the house codes by ignoring the inheritance, or, if they’re too referential, they could be condemned for having no ideas of their own. Luckily for us, Wang was able to find a right balance between the classic Parisian aura that the house of Balenciaga is cemented for, with the sleek and quintessential energy Wang is coveted for in New York.
From the first look alone, a blazer fastened together with a maillon (a metal connector similar to that of a carabineer) that he also used in his womenswear collection, the hybrid between the mind of Christobal Balenciaga and Alexander Wang was established. There was that precision fit that came in the form of the fitted blazer (an icon for the Balenciaga house), combined with the use of the maillon itself that gives the garment a bit of street-edge that Wang is celebrated for.
For the rest of the collection, it was a subtle but potent dose of monochromatic pieces after pieces that you feel can stay-still in your wardrobe for eternity; poplin shirts that have high-closing, sleeveless shirts with a single button at the collar, transparent coats that glistened like gasoline underneath light contact, all very innovative and new ways to view men’s clothing… but then again, this is Balenciaga, the pusher of all-things sci-fi.
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