As the Couture shows are set to begin in Paris this morning, Balenciaga sent a jolt of further excitement through the fashion industry after announcing the return of its historic couture house.
Speaking to Vogue, Gvasalia said that he was returning to 'the very foundation' of Balenciaga, in order to offer 'another spectrum of possibilities in dressmaking.' This comes after his departure from Vetements, the brand he established in 2014.
'It is my creative and visionary duty to bring couture back,' said Gvasalia. 'For me, couture is an unexplored mode of creative freedom and a platform for innovation. It not only offers another spectrum of possibilities in dressmaking, it also brings the modern vision of Balenciaga back to its sources of origin.'
The house is set to replicate the legendary salon at 10 Avenue George V, with its own dedicated couture team. Cristóbal Balenciaga famously closed his couture house in 1968, amidst the advent and burgeoning success of pret-a-porter fashion.
Balenciaga, the man behind the label, was famous for his experimental shapes (the sack dress, cocoon coat and bubble hemlines to name a few) as well as for his very famous fans including Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy – who famously fell out with her husband over her Balenciaga bills. His famous last dress was for Spanish aristocrat and socialite Maria del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú. Two weeks after he completed the creation, he tragically passed away.
Since arriving at the helm of Balenciaga, Gvasalia has ushered in the same subversive qualities he was lauded for at the helm of Vetements. From the “ugly” sneaker trend with his Triple-S, to his subversive take on Balenciaga's classic nipped-waist skirt suit.
He has left a noteworthy mark on ready-to-wear, so what does Gvasalia have in store for the legendary couture house? Only time will tell.