Nicolas Ghesquière’s fall/winter 2006 collection for Balenciaga was an exercise in studying the past to create the future of silhouette and form. To begin, the designer went on a creative exploration into the house’s vast archives to fashion a beloved homage to brand’s late founder, Cristóbal Balenciaga.
The collection opened with a selection of cropped skirt suits and cocoon-style jackets, reminiscent of Balenciaga’s semi-fit suits of the 1950 and 60s, remade in bouclé fabrics finished with bejeweled buttons and wide collars. This modernized approach to uniform dressing was further elaborated upon in the show’s monotonous platform riding boots and tall, helmet-like hats worn atop each model’s manicured head.
Inspired by Cristóbal’s innovative use of materials to aid his exploration of silhouette and form, Ghesquière developed inventive textiles such as a wool-blended neoprene to create structured garments of unparalleled lightness and ease. Voluminous peplum tops covered in delicate beading and needlework were paired with slim cigarette trousers, a Ghesquière signature, while jackets with rounded shoulders and generous volumes paid further tribute to Balenciaga’s iconic egg silhouette.
Even when looking backwards, Ghesquière succeeded in the difficult task of keeping Balenciaga’s original designs pure, while injecting the signature minimalistic elegance for which he has become known and loved. A tightly edited 39-look collection that beautifully fused iconic elements of the past, with the future of fashion.
References
- 1
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Tom Kublin
Plaid coat and skirt ensemble by Balenciaga, photographed for Jardin des Modes, November 1960
Koloman Moser
Wooden chair with the winding arms, 1900-1910
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
House for an Art Lover, 1901
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Textile Design Rose and Teardrop, 1915-23
Francis Picabia
The Handsome Pork-Butcher, 1924-26
Henry Van de Velde
Bloemenwerf House, 1896
David Bailey
Jean Shrimpton photographed wearing Mary Quant, 1960s
Charles Sheeler
Untitled, 1938-1939
Dagobert Peche
Large Table Lamp, 1922
Edward Hopper
Coast Guard Station, Two Lights, Maine, 1927
Émile Gallé
Autumn Crocus, 1900
Frantisek Kupka
Reminiscence of a Cathedral, 1920-23
Gerrit Rietveld
Beugelfauteuil, 1927
Josef Hoffmann
Side Chair, Model no. 371, 1908
Josef Hoffmann
Table Lamp, 1910
Koloman Moser
Cabinet, 1903
L'Officiel Magazine
Balenciaga, 1967
Josef Hoffmann
Lattice Vase, Vienna, 1905
Winslow Homer
West Point Prout's Neck, 1900
References
Tom Kublin
Plaid coat and skirt ensemble by Balenciaga, photographed for Jardin des Modes, November 1960
1 of 19
Koloman Moser
Wooden chair with the winding arms, 1900-1910
2 of 19
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
House for an Art Lover, 1901
3 of 19
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Textile Design Rose and Teardrop, 1915-23
4 of 19
Francis Picabia
The Handsome Pork-Butcher, 1924-26
5 of 19
Henry Van de Velde
Bloemenwerf House, 1896
6 of 19
David Bailey
Jean Shrimpton photographed wearing Mary Quant, 1960s
7 of 19
Charles Sheeler
Untitled, 1938-1939
8 of 19
Dagobert Peche
Large Table Lamp, 1922
9 of 19
Edward Hopper
Coast Guard Station, Two Lights, Maine, 1927
10 of 19
Émile Gallé
Autumn Crocus, 1900
11 of 19
Frantisek Kupka
Reminiscence of a Cathedral, 1920-23
12 of 19
Gerrit Rietveld
Beugelfauteuil, 1927
13 of 19
Josef Hoffmann
Side Chair, Model no. 371, 1908
14 of 19
Josef Hoffmann
Table Lamp, 1910
15 of 19
Koloman Moser
Cabinet, 1903
16 of 19
L'Officiel Magazine
Balenciaga, 1967
17 of 19
Josef Hoffmann
Lattice Vase, Vienna, 1905
18 of 19
