If Wall Street’s wonder boys, read: the Jordan Belfort wannabes, ever needed an excuse to shop luxury fashion, Balenciaga is giving them every reason to stand up and pay attention.
It was a quiet Sunday morning in downtown New York.
The finance bros may have been recovering from a big week on Wall Street, however, for fashion’s ‘It’ crowd, the home of venture capitalists and crypto-kings was probably the most unlikely choice of venue for the luxury French maison’s first ever show outside Paris.
Swapping brunches for Sarabeth’s for bells and BDSM on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Balenciaga proved what we knew all along: money makes the world go round.
Then, at the ringing of a bell, the open outcry began. Models were dressed in fetishwear and latex gimp suits as they showcased the latest demi-couture designs from the beloved labels. 80s inspired silhouettes were prominent providing the perfect uniform for the working woman to ascend the corporate ladder on.
Balenciaga is no stranger to a collaboration, and it was the debut of their partnership with Adidas that proved that Balenciaga wasn’t just in on the joke, but that the joke was on us.
Rather than recontextualizing a whole new line of merchandise, Balenciaga slapped their logo across t-shirts and hoodies, proving that the chokehold of capitalism has no bounds.
Balenciaga has created a market for the logomania inclined luxury lovers to thrive in—it’s no longer athleisure or streetwear, it’s high end fashion, as the label suggests.
With the pieces from the Adidas x Balenciaga collaboration only available until May 29th, we’re sure the pseudo-influencers and celebrity stylists have their AMEX’s ready to pick up a piece of this limited run. We’ll happily take a pair of three-striped denim in Size 8, however.
Given the setting, one would naturally think that the corporate clichés of double-breasted blazers, trench coats and pinstripe suits would be the proverbial hero in this collection. For us, however, the BDSM-inspired silhouettes took center stage.
Afterall, nothing screams ‘fashion’ more than highlighting that consumers are, at times, submissive to the dominance of capitalism and desire. Could there be any more of a stark comparison?
We surrender our bodies for fashion to own and do with as it seems fit, while we obey, copping every drop and meticulously following every trend to the enth degree. Welcome to Balencagia’s machine.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism