Balenciaga’s own black is the star of a collection which is very much born from performance.

Balenciaga Black: A True Fake Show Loaded With References

For Spring/Summer 2022, Demna Gvasalia orchestrated a true performance. The house’s current artistic director elaborated a fake-yet-real red carpet in lieu of a runway, as well as a true movie premiere around a full black Balenciaga collection.

Inside the Théâtre du Châtelet, models were like myriads of stars presented on the occasion — introducing Spring/Summer 2022 silhouettes on a fake red carpet. Isabelle Huppert, Lewis Hamilton, Cardi B and Offset, Elliot Page… All fully clothed in next season’s Balenciaga.

Just look at those looks! Grandiloquent dresses directly inspired from those imagined by the brand’s eponymous founder, overdimensioned black tailored jackets, skinny bodysuits, pleated fan dresses, exaggerated jeans and couture-allured tracksuit pants. Although Balenciaga’s signature black dominated, the silhouettes caught everyone’s attention.

A skirt/hoodie mix and match in tune with the times; a skirt pulled straight out of the brand’s archives, covered in sequins and paired with the most contemporary hoodie you could find.

Pushing the fashion world’s theatrics a bit further still, Demna Gvasalia also orchestrated the actual premiere of the Simpsons/Balenciaga short film. A true comedic show-within-a-show about Balenciaga’s new perception and its audience, all while Balenciaga’s signature black was being celebrated!