Alexander Wang's Balenciaga debut, easily the most anticipated show of the season, was met by the fashion critics' equivalent of "That'll do, pig." Wang's dutiful nods to Balenciaga's archives were met with approval, and while he didn't blow anyone's minds, he also delivered an elegant range of clothes that are both wearable and in line with the fashion house's traditional aesthetic. The reviews are now trickling in, and while they're all positive, none are ecstatically so. (This was no Raf Simons for Dior, in other words.) On the other hand, he has proved himself capable of handling a major heritage brand, countering initial doubts.
Cathy Horyn, who hasn't always been a big Wang fan, was surprisingly enthusiastic about the show, tweeting her approval immediately afterwards:
And later added in her glowing review:
Mr. Wang brought his street smarts to those couture volumes that are indelibly Balenciaga. He minimized them so that they looked more realistic for today. He reduced the construction so that, in effect, the look was a top and a pair of trousers, or over-the-knee boots in black suede modestly decorated with silver metal knots. But the results were not boringly minimalist.
Meanwhile, the FT's Vanessa Friedman was a more measured in her approbation:
It was clean, it was exact, it didn’t rock the boat (or the brand). It was, as the French say, pas mal.
The London Times hailed the range as "Balenciaga's brave new future," and critic Laura Craik stated in her review:
They were big shoes to fill, but Wang stepped into them seamlessly. He drew a shade more literally from the Balenciaga archives than Ghesquiere tended to, but nobody could fault him for this, since Cristobal Balenciaga is one of the greatest designers ever to have grasped a pair of scissors.
Meanwhile, apparently buyers liked it too:
Harper's Bazaar will certainly be shooting the pieces posthaste, per Glenda Bailey:
And British Vogue's Alexandra Shulman will too:
All in all, Wang has proved himself with a solid and uncontroversial start in Paris. We'll keep you posted as more reviews come in.
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Filed Under:
alexander wang
,balenciaga
,first looks
,show and tell
,paris fashion week fall 2013
,reviews
,glenda bailey
,vanessa friedman
,cathy horyn
,other critics