The concept for the Balenciaga Fall 2023 Haute Couture collection moves into architectural tailoring. Sharp shoulders, a curved-V neckline inspired by the hemlines of the couturier’s original tailored jackets and a shaped waist define this section. For menswear, suits appear as if in Prince of Wales check or pinstriped wool. With both, the textile is actually Japanese denim woven on antique looms.

Trompe l’oeil surfaces as a modern way of acknowledging traditional materials. Linen canvas panels are hand-painted and assembled into garments, such as a padded coat made to look like fur, or trousers proffered as jeans or leather pants. Houndstooth and python textures are replicated, along with buttons and lapels on blazers. Structure emerges from the two-dimensional. Wool outerwear, cotton trench coats and cashmere scarves are cut and fortified to seem windblown.

Eveningwear closes. Taffeta is given body, with movement away from the shoulder. Or it is treated with a bespoke method to create a liquid, plasticized impression, and draped in a spiral around the torso. The use of Swiss guipure lace, enlarged and woven chainmail and sequin-sewn filigrees underpins the excellence in craftsmanship that is constantly sought by the metier.

A finale dress of CAD-designed, 3D-printed armor and galvanized resin is polished in chrome, with a coating of black flock along the interior–like a jewelry box. Rigid and reflective, it embodies a temporal crossroads, fusing classical techniques with cutting-edge advancements. It also demonstrates a new reality.