On December 2nd, 2023, Balenciaga presented Fall 2024 in Los Angeles, CA – the first time the house has held a show in the city. The lineup, revealed on a palm tree-lined street and scored by BFRND with a custom track featuring multiple voiceovers, illustrates Demna’s interpretation of L.A.’s fashion codes through a cinematic, character-driven lens. Ideas apply to everyday activities like jogging, yoga and gym sessions, and then progress to Hollywood evening with step-and-repeat-ready, Cristóbal Balenciaga-inspired gowns.
In between, sections of updated grunge, upscaled daywear and signature tailoring take the spotlight. An activewear chapter opens. Items are straightforward: shorts, bra tops, leggings and sweatshirts are included. A jersey section follows. This portion nods to the American velour tracksuit trend and celebrity street style photographs of the aughts. New versions of the suit suggest low slung trousers – some low enough to reveal undergarments beneath – and cropped hooded jackets. Knee-high Alaska boots are added. Neo-grunge enters. Garments are oversized and layered. Highlight items include cut-up asymmetric trousers, a hand embroidered leopard-motif coat, outdoor hotel slippers and leather bags lined with nylon shopper totes. Upscaled daywear, outsize proportions and precise tailoring – many pieces with flattened square shoulders or styled as tweed sets – bridge informality and glamor. One hooded jacket has an integrated scarf, which can be used for paparazzi deterrence. Eveningwear closes. Shapes and silhouettes are highly defined, and many of the garments fuse past and present by referencing original designs made by Cristobal Balenciaga himself. Wrapped coat- dresses cut an angular, plush form, while tailored one-shoulder gowns impart a softer impression. The final look furthers the incognito element: a monumental white gown in heavy white satin with a structured face shield.
Accessories include a new croc-embossed Rodeo bag, named for the Beverly Hills street and home of Balenciaga’s 2 L.A. flagships, and essential carriers such as the knitted 24/7 tote and the Monaco tote. Eyewear includes evolved mask and batwing shapes, along with the new super flexible Malibu line with elastic temples and premium titanium construction. A new shoe – the 10XL Sneaker – is introduced. It amplifies a sense of exaggeration in proportion, which is a Balenciaga signature. 2 select colorways (yellow/white/blue and blue/gray/black) will be available in an exclusive release. A number of exclusive release items in addition to the 10XL Sneaker are available immediately following the show: leather and paper tote bags, jerseys, caps and aprons made in collaboration with Erewhon, the L.A.-based grocery store phenomenon; the new Le Cagole Tote XL; No Logo jersey pieces, and high jewellery realized in collaboration with Jacob & Co. The jewellery designs reflect a sentiment of American youth culture and imbue it with a Made in the USA opulence.
