Balenciaga SS27 Shows That Couture Can Be Casual Too
Elevating “prototypical” garments, like denim jeans, T-shirts, and bomber jackets with couture techniques.
Summary
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Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Balenciaga SS27 Ready-to-Wear line elevates everyday staples, like denim and bombers, using intricate couture techniques.
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The collection balances relaxed, city-ready streetwear with highly ornate closing gowns, emphasizing the body as the garment’s basis.
On October 1, Balenciaga Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli brought techniques from the 55th Balenciaga Couture Collection to his Spring/Summer 2027 Ready-to-Wear line.
With Balenciaga’s couture methods, the collection elevates “prototypical” garments, like denim jeans, shirting, T-shirts, bombers, and more, adding volume and the house’s signature shapes to the range. As written in the show notes, the luxury label intends to show that these “methods and meanings can have relevance for a new generation, for the future.” At the heart of the collection is Cristóbal Balenciaga’s philosophy of “the body as the basis” of each garment, and the human touch of its couturiers in the final product.
Throughout womenswear, the more conspicuously couture-esque looks — characterized by intricate lace and fine feather or tassel fringes — are balanced out by city-ready looks: a white tank top with distressed denim and flip-flops, and in another look, a high-neck black leather jacket goes with oversized black cargo shorts. Across men’s looks, these subtle couture-inspired interventions add renewed character and dynamism to contemporary closet staples. In one look, a pink button-up shirt is given a hoodie, while extra-baggy tan cargo pants feature a skirt panel on the back. Elsewhere, bomber jacket sleeves are turned into bold leg-of-mutton style shoulders for blazers.
To close the show, a run of standout gowns echo the 55th Couture Collection with the most clarity. Perhaps the most ornate numbers included a sleeveless maxi dress with a train, covered in silver sequins, and a tangerine-hued, off-the-shoulder dress adorned with diamond-shaped tassels. The final look takes the philosophy of “the body as basis” home with a translucent pink chiffon dress — tied snugly at the neck and gathered at the waist, revealing the shadow of the model’s full body.
