Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2014 collection: Alexander Wang’s second outing
Once in a while a designer will come along whose influence profoundly changes the way women get dressed – Marc Jacobs, Coco Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, and more recently Alexander Wang. We at Your Coffee Break have been big fans of Alexander Wang for a long time now and have toted our Rocco bags with pride. However, when it was announced that at the tender age of 29, Wang would be replacing the brilliant Nicolas Ghesquière in the top job, it was clear that his already blossoming career would be cranking up several notches. Even though Wang had some yeti sized shoes to fill at Balenciaga, his first show was a resounding success; the New York based designer paid homage to the house’s heritage with achingly chic, sculptural pieces that were contemporary and in reverence to Cristobel Balenciaga himself.
SS14’s collection was always going to be tricky – after such a successful first outing, we were waiting with bated breath to see what our fashion hero would come up with next and we’re pleased to say that we weren’t disappointed. The architectural shapes from last season remained, but this time the clothes had a sporty irreverence. The show opened with a pastel blue, motor cross style jacket and matching mini skirt in hand woven leather braid. The waist was tightly cinched and the shoulders were dramatically rounded, which kept the look sophisticated and refined. As the collection progressed the harshness of the structural, sporty pieces softened into something softer, more undone. Wang said after the show; “The idea was to start strong and austere, and let that unravel. I want to bring ease into the DNA and codes of the house that I’m working with”.
The elegant chiffon and silk pieces that floated down the runway towards the end of the presentation still maintained the purity of line and architectural grace that the previous pieces did, but they also had an angelic, ethereal quality that will go down a storm on the red carpet. Here at Your Coffee Break, we fully expect to them on see the likes of Carey Mulligan and Rooney Mara.
With the news of Marc Jacobs’ departure from Luis Vuitton to focus on his own label, we think that a new era has dawned; Alexander Wang is the new super-designer who will sculpt the fashion landscape in his vision.
