Texture Candy

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>> Ho ho ho!  Despite my being freaked out by the concept of Santa Claus as a child (a man coming down a chimney sneaking about eating biscuits…?) I come here today masquerading as that pot-bellied bearded fellow bearing gifts errr… picture treats.  If there are crap Santas in shopping malls the world over handing out cheap sweets/candy, then I'm the fashion blogger equivalent, handing out texture/fabric candy treats with these images taken at the Balenciaga showroom back in October.  The last few seasons of Balenciaga has coincided with my getting to see the stuff up close each time (because clearly I'm never gonna be at the hallowed show…) where I've noticed a distinctive shift towards fabric manipulation that Nicolas Ghesqui√®re and his team have put a lot of effort into and the S/S 11 collection is no exception.

It's only up-close you see just how many texture/fabric candy treats Ghesqui√®re (fashion's fabrication tech-y Santa Claus?) has stuffed into one collection which when coupled with the masculine moto-meets-Teddyboy silhouettes and styling (no need to repeat catwalk images…) really adds a new spin on those those sub-culture modes of dress.  It's also amazing how many texture-based words pops into my head when contemplating so many itty bitty bits of fabric manipulation… cracked, plasticised, melted, marbled, coated, tufted, bubbled…as well as made-up words for the sort of hybrid fabrics he creates such as "geo-lace" (the colour blocking over the lace) or "sequin-spider-knit" (where the sequins are worked into a holey knit)…

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Then there are these cowboy-style metal collar tips accented in white and black enamel which I may have stroked a few too many times palm-facing because it's in effect such a simple addition that literally and figuratively adds weight to the texture-ridden shirts.  Finding some collar tips of my own wouldn't be difficult but finding the counterpart shirt that even tries to match the complexity of these ones would be a pointless task… 

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40 comments

  4. Just exquisite! thank you so much for sharing these pics – I could never tire of contemplating these textures.

  6. AAAAAAHHHH!!!!! the collar tips fantastico!! just adds that little bit of sharpness. i love collared shirts and this just takes the love to a new level. Love the contrast of feminine textures with the shiny metal collar tips. AND always love finding different alternatives to wearing traditional jewelry. were you tempted to just pull them off and put them in ur handbag? hahaha
    xx
    http://winnsomesmile.blogspot.com/

  8. I love the three-dimensional texture to these pieces, especially the pink and green lace on the top at the end. Those are my signature colour: pink for femininity and green for the Earth

  9. Love these detail shots! I was given some vintage collar tips for my birthday this summer and I LOVE wearing them but am always terrified I’m going to lose them…they attach with tiny screws!

  12. i always knew ghesquiere was a freaking genius but didn’t know he was the god of fabric manipulation….i just lovve the collar structured blouses…and the colours complement very well…!!!!!

  16. Oh wow, so many textures! I had no idea this collection was so detailed, it’s nice to see it up close – especially the metal collars since it’s hard to get a good look at them in runway pics. Hopefully the clothes are as comfortable to wear as they are beautifully constructed.

  20. Thanks for the pressie! I think your getting a better deal seeing the showroom where you can actually see everything up close then at the show which you can see videos of. Where can one find metal collar tips? Those are such a good idea. Happy Christmas Susie!

  21. Ooooh, I don’t think Balenciaga needs affirmation from me, but- this is FANTASTIC. Like others here, I think you’re actually getting a better opportunity out of seeing the collection in the showroom than in the show (though that, of course, gives one the chance to see them in motion). I can fully understand the urge to feel up this collection, palms-up 🙂

  24. those pieces are not my taste but you really know how to make someone take interest in textures, prints, and colors. lol
    the collar pieces are meticulously chosen.

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