Paris Fashion Week Revives Bold Sex Appeal
- Balenciaga held a fashion show at Les Invalides, featuring a large wooden dining table as the centerpiece.
- Creative director Demna drew inspiration from his teenage experiences of sharing fashion designs with family at the dining table.
- The collection marked a return to sexual themes in fashion, yet the season overall has leaned towards more modest and polite interpretations of lingerie.
In France, during the penultimate day of fashion month, Balenciaga showcased a unique fashion collection under the golden dome of Les Invalides, a historic monument. The centerpiece of the event was a massive black box housing a 154-foot long wooden dining table, polished to a high sheen. Creative director Demna explained that this setting was inspired by his teenage years spent drawing fashion collections at the family dining table, marking the beginning of his long-standing relationship with fashion. The collection opened with a provocative ensemble featuring a white lace bra, girdle, garter belt, and stockings, signaling a return to themes of sexuality in fashion. However, the overall season has been characterized by a more subdued approach to nudity, with a noticeable shift towards covering rather than revealing the body. This change may reflect a broader cultural anxiety regarding the definition of sexiness and who gets to define it, leading to a more polite interpretation of lingerie in various shows. The event highlighted a contrast between past boldness in fashion and the current cautiousness, suggesting a complex interplay of societal influences on contemporary style.