Balenciaga Spring 2016 Menswear

Cristóbal Balenciaga was known for his architectural constructions and graphic silhouettes, and Alexander Wang is building on those foundations in his women’s line for the house, injecting his own style with streetwear and a hard edge. Designed by a team under his direction, the Balenciaga men’s line is following the same ethos.

For spring, the house evoked the modernist architecture of tropical countries such as Brazil, making the utilitarian pocket the “building block” and putting them everywhere — hidden in the fold of a double layer black coat, on the front of a bomber jacket opening with a flash of shiny metallic zipper or covering parkas, which made them look as complicated as a Chinese puzzle. More relaxed were Wang’s use of textured cotton nylon blend knitwear for shorts, tanks or sweaters in Army green or crisp white and the shadowy palm leaf motif printed on silk canvas or filmy nylon Windbreakers and shorts. The idea of futurism, close to the Balenciaga aesthetic since the era of Nicolas Ghesquière, was expressed in the double-layered tailoring pieces, such as in the tuxedo jacket done with a minimalist edgy vibe.