To think fashion is to think innovation by using a blend of unique cuts, styles, patterns and fabrics to produce a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. To some, it may be an old-fashioned belt, timeless as the material made to sustain it's beauty. For others, perhaps it is found in the odd shapes and forms created by artistic fashion visionaries who know fashion enough to predict the future a couple seasons ahead. Call it time travel or call it psychic, these artists are what lead the world into the style of tomorrow. Such a creative mind could rival the clever ways of fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. Ingenious as he is with his talents of producing some of the world's most sought-after Couture designs, Balenciaga was also able to capture the the attention of other designers, inspiring each artist (names such as Oscar De La Renta and Christian Dior) to follow in his footsteps. He formulated a legacy in the fashion industry, undoubtedly extending his talents of being a fashion visionary into the very mind of the current creativer director of Balenciaga, Nicolas Ghesquière. In 1997, he headed the house of Balenciaga, bringing about a new life form to the fashion label. After the death of Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1972, the house found itself going through a heavy transitional phase. It wasn't until recently that Nicolas Ghesquière brought a fresh take on fashion to a reputable image and classic label in high fashion.
Ghesquière has been presenting his version of the skinny pant with the blouson jacket (picture a delicate silk blouse only in jacket form) for the millions of fashion followers to indulge in something new, something eye-opening. He has ever since, been playing with visions of futuristic form combined with his love for the 1980's era. But it doesn't end there, as Ghesquière also incorporates a bold blend of futurism with French Classicism. Looking closely at his collections, one could also see that Ghesquière likes to use somewhat drab colors for his clothing, then spices it up by accessorizing with bold-colored detailing. There is no doubt that Balenciaga has made its stamp on high fashion as well as street culture and style. You can walk down almost any block and witness similar versions of his original masterpieces. The Balenciaga Motorcycle bag is infamous for it's sleek design and edgy form, giving it the appearance of half bag/ half motorcycle-and-jacket. It is not just recently that Balenciaga carried an immensely futuristic take on high fashion. Back in the day, Cristóbal Balenciaga had been known as "The master of us all", a popular quote by Christian Dior himself. He had experimented with rather strange forms for the female body, nevertheless, had popularized alternative stylings for women who wanted to think outside the box. It was in his innovative designs that he was able to create a full-fledge fashion house that even Jacqueline Kennedy found sensational.
This Spring season (2007), Ghesquière has incorporated his visions of a futuristic dress code, polishing his look to incorporate unique material, detailing with shimmer and glitz, assymetrical dresses, big shoulders, extremely long legs and platforms. Ghesquière also uses a base of black with metallics and white, truly magnifying the the intensity of bold fashion. Metallics (once again) has made an intense impression on the runway!
What is so truly astonishing and wildly ambitious about designer Nicolas Ghesquière is his ability to follow in the footstps of Cristóbal Balenciaga, all while creating the path to a successful future for the design house. We all become uncertain of where art can take us. Whether we find ourselves wallowing in past images of a more simplistic lifestyle or concerned with artform that affects our present, we find it rather difficult to produce an accurate portrayal of the future without seeming too distant or too predictable. With the stylings of artists such as Ghesquière, we are able to see the vision of surreal and realistic fashion, blended into one collection and captivating a truly mixed crowd of the non-fashion as well as fashion savvy.
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