Between the hoo-ha over who will and won’t dress incoming FLOTUS Melania Trump, fashion is finding politics hard to avoid. This was certainly the case at Balenciaga’s men’s show yesterday in Paris where the label’s main man, Demna Gvasalia, was feeling the Bern.
It has always been Demna’s Moda Operandi at his own label, Vetements, and at Balenciaga, to put a magnifying glass on touchpoints of youth culture and the feeling of the street. With the approaching inauguration of Trump taking up headlines and status updates, Demna invoked the semiotics of Vermont Senator Bernie Sander’s presidential campaign.
A mixture of men of all ages ranging from boyish preppy types to craggy-faced grey haired gentleman stalked Balenciaga’s catwalk in subversive tailoring. Denma twisted the wardrobes of corporate robots and Wall Street CEOs into something incendiary. Oversized and puckered, suits took on a couture quality, and blazers became instantly sexualised when worn over bare chests. And, trousers teamed with orthopaedic trainers dipped low to almost the pubic bone. But, the most provocative image came from the red and white waves that underlined the Balenciaga logo.
Like Corbyn over here, Bernie’s personal sense of style has been equally vilified and celebrated. Over the course of his Democratic nominee race, he canvassed in crumpled suits that looked borrowed from a man larger than himself, or, as the case may be, the autumn winter 17 Balenciaga menswear collection.
The French house has also surreptitiously tapped into this season's logomania trend. Brand slogans were a pre-recession obsession, but have made a comeback for spring thanks to Dior, which littered its name and phrases like ‘J’Adior’ throughout its collection. Gucci too has found favour with this unsubtle branding. The label's cult top for springis a simple white tee printed with the Italian house’s name and interlocking G’s.
There is an unavoidable irony to this Balenciaga collection. While Demna has effectively produced on-trend pieces, like logo jackets, which will inevitably sell for hundreds, if not thousands, he has also co-opted the image of Bernie Sanders. Lest we forget Sanders ran on a platform that damned the 1% and desired a redistribution of wealth to aid social welfare. However, it raises the question: if Bernie had Demna designing his campaign collection, would he have won?
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
There's A Dating Site Especially For Bernie Sanders Supporters
Follow Lucy on Instagram @lucyalicemorris
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.