BALENCIAGA RESORT 2014

Many (myself included) were extremely dubious when it was announced earlier this year that Alexander Wang had been chosen as Balenciaga's new creative director. Wang's predecessor, Nicholas Ghesquière, had previously turned the brand into a true fashion powerhouse, gaining respect for his futuristic aesthetic and experimental silhouettes, making the task of replacing such an influential director would be tricky. Not to mention that Wang's own eponymous collection is based heavily on luxe sportswear - often choosing to work mainly with leather and jersey, it was widely questioned as to whether or not Wang was versatile enough to take the helm of such a renowned fashion house. After impressing the fashion crowd with his Fall 2013 collection, this Resort 2014 collection has only proven further that he is entirely capable of the task at hand. 

Balenciaga Fall 2013

Once again, despite the brilliance of the collection it was evident that Wang was tentative about dividing opinion, choosing to stay away from colour entirely and focus on a colour palette comprising of black, white and several muted shades of grey. The lack of colour gave an elegant simplicity to the collection, allowing the focus to be the unusual, sculptural silhouettes. There were several examples of Wang choosing to play with proportions - for example, bandeau crop tops were teamed with cropped bolero jackets and lean black trousers, Wang's playful take on the tuxedo for summer. 

ALEXANDER WANG A/W 2013

A strange thing happens in fashion when a successor is announced - attention turns swiftly away from the designer's talent and focuses instead on speculation and hyperbole. This was certainly the case when it was announced that Alexander Wang would be taking the reins from Nicolas Ghesquière and stepping into the role of creative director of fashion powerhouse Balenciaga, so the Alexander Wang A/W 2013 collection was his chance to focus the attention back on the sleek aesthetic and incredible talent for which he is so hugely respected. 

As usual, the collection centered mainly around the idea of futuristic sportswear - sleek silhouettes engineered in high-sheen fabrics, contrasted with slouchy jersey basics. The collection also presented a few nods to the world of boxing, namely the cute furry boxing gloves that added a playful element to the collection. The air of luxury was also prominent in the materials used - soft suede patches, shaggy mohair and slick leather were the fabrics of choice, seen on a variety of fitted coats and jackets that personified the "sport-luxe" niche that Wang embodies so well. Emphasis was placed on keeping warm, with models having their ears snugly covered by hooded mohair turtlenecks and knitted caps, whilst Wang dispelled the rumour that winter clothes have to be bulky to be cosy by showing a range of pencil skirts and fitted trousers in soft fur.