4 'fake' accessories presented on the Spring 2022 Balenciaga's catwalk

A bit Vetements and a bit Bottega Veneta as well as Supreme played its part in the Balenciaga’s dystopian Spring 2022 latest show.

Last April, Alessandro Michele celebrated Gucci’s 100th anniversary by collaborating with Demna Gvsalia in order to bring to the stage garments and accessories that couldn’t be defined as a real partnership, but rather a “laboratory of hacking, incursions and metamorphosis” like Michele himself defined it. At the turn of Balenciaga, consequently, we all expected another show entirely based on the ‘theme of cloning’ as a continuum of what Alessandro Michele had started. In reality, Gvasalia’s response was much more controversial and brought the replica (or perhaps the inspiration) of other brands into play. The main goal, which was explicitly stated by the creative director, was to question the branding and appropriation of fashion brands that many seem to continue to ignore and repeat in the collections. The result was an ‘artistically provocative’ collection, in which the spokespersons of this bizarre “challenge” turned out to be the accessories, halfway between a concrete reproduction and a parallel surreal reality. Let’s see them together.

#1 Crocs platform aka Bottega Veneta’s Puddle boots

Heeled Crocs were in the grapevine, as bizarre for some as they were brilliant for others, they didn’t go unnoticed. Perhaps few have noticed that in the looks designed by Demna Gvasalia there is more. We are talking about the new Crocs platform boots as well as part of the collaboration between the two brands that began in 2017. “It’s a very innovative shoe. It’s light, it’s a one-piece foam mold and for me this type of techniques and processes with this type of materials is very Balenciaga”, said the creative director. However, the new models’ monobloc construction seems to be very reminiscent of the colorful Puddle by Bottega Veneta and it hasn’t escaped us.

#2 This is not a Gucci… jewel.

In the spotlight of the Spring 2022 catwalk, bags made with the Gucci monogram played for sure their part. Hand or shoulder, many of these are highlighted by the words “This is not a Gucci bag”. Less prominent were the maximal jewels in the shape of a bow that deliberately seem to recall the earrings, bracelets and maxi-bow necklaces worn by Michele in April, with the aim of breaking gender labels and turn them into fluid accessories.

#3 Balenciaga bag or Supreme bag?

Gucci’s monogram bags have certainly stolen the public’s attention, but, in the meantime, either it was Supreme who took possession of the new Balenciaga shopping bags, or maybe it’s Demna Gvasalia who is a huge fan of the streetwear brand. It will be bizarre but the font of the fashion house’s logo, which is applied on each of them, is the exact copy of it.

#4 Even in sunglasses there’s Vetements.

In addition to vintage ‘fly’ frames, Balenciaga brought mirrored mask sunglasses in different fluorescent colors to the catwalk, a common detail on the Vetements’ collections, the brand founded in 2017 by the same creative director. A gaming move played ‘at home’, which like a fil-rouge, turns out to be a small taste of authenticity, of that accurate and visionary style that has always characterized the designer.

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Priscilla Cafaggi

Priscilla è una fashion editor laureata in storia della moda. Ama il vintage, il minimalismo… in poche parole una persona eclettica. Infatti, se dovesse scegliere due persone per andare a cena fuori sarebbero Jil Sander e Alessandro Michele.