I have a fond place for couture. When I studied couture several of the big houses at the time were closing their couture completely or focusing on ready to wear, it was sad to know what the future held and several of my teachers spent thirty years in the ateliers finishing their careers by passing on their techniques to the next generation not knowing what the future held. With Balenciaga showing their 51st couture collection and Demna’s 2nd for the House, there is a new world for couture and with the Balenciaga Couture Store opening on Avenue George V 5 (in its original Couture location where it first opened in 1937), we are experiencing a new gateway to couture made up of advanced technology alongside traditional techniques.
The most striking difference between today from yesteryears is the introduction of menswear to couture. While several designers have explored this idea in recent years, no one with the validation of a big house has taken such a stride forward. Yes, the collection was still made up of beautiful dresses, but one of them in bubble gum pink was cut and fitted on a male chest. Denim, another absentee from couture collections historically, now firmly holds a place. In the same universe of sequined dresses are jet-beaded jeans that take up to thousands of hours to hand-sew. Even on closer inspection the raw-like edges spotted are actually meticulously finished embroidery. Even T-shirts are bonded with aluminum, creating an entirely new fabric that holds its shape when manipulated. And dare I say, that I think I spotted a cargo reference on a pair of leather-like trousers.
Opening up the collection was a series of face shields in coated polyurethane engineered by Mercedes- AMG F1 Applied Science, a division of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd. dedicated to leveraging aerospace and motorsport tech. Their aerodynamic, anti-fog capability and breathability were developed over months of testing. They might be giving off the feeling of anonymity, but such masks are an experience to see how others interact with you. Like additional armor, models walked out with a Speaker Bag, a functional purse as well as a portable state-of-the-art sound system (part of a collaboration with Bang & Olufsen), milled from a block of solid aluminum before being pearl-blasted, anodized, and hand- polished over a several-day period.
Demna has always had an affinity with power shoulders, but gone are the boxed and structure opting for a round shoulder additionally cocoon silhouettes have evolved into nods to a wasp sartorial waist, one that could have possibly been boned. Couture after all is about the drape and fit. Demna has clearly identified his silhouette for fall. With all of the problems in the world, from climate change to the recession, couture might seem useless and silly to talk about silhouettes. But in a world of fast disposable fashion, couture is more relevant than ever, we need to shift culturally to a slow fashion movement. Even if we can’t afford to buy into the couture dream, knowing that over a quarter of the collection is made with upcycled items, should encourage many people out there that upcycling and circular fashion can trickle up and down. Now we can all practice deconstructing and reconstructing our old garments into new ones, taking some tips from Demna of course.
It’s the bag you put inside another bag or the one you stuff full of everything else. It doesn’t care what it carries; it’s built to hold whatever you throw at it.
“MiMa is first and foremost a space for discovery and inspiration. That was a core idea from the very beginning, both in the way we curated the selection and in how we designed the space itself.”
FANG NYC’s FW25 collection pulls from creative director Fang Guo’s travels, from Georgia’s concrete Kartlis Deda monument to Crete’s pink sand beaches, to play with contrasts.
To celebrate the release of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II on PlayStation 5, Ninja Theory has teamed up with London’s Passarella Death Squad for a limited capsule collection.
Wood Wood enters a new chapter with its FW25 Double A campaign, the first collection under creative director Brian SS Jensen and head of design Gitte Wetter.
Johnatan Aba and Yoni Goor captured by the lens of Italo Gaspar and styled by Marchesini Matilde & Stefani Sofia, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
DJOOKE opens up about his journey from Portuguese small towns to Lisbon’s DJ scene, the birth of iconic LGBTQ+ party BALAGAN, and his vision for inclusive nightlife.
Massimo Osti Studio’s latest collection, Continuative Garments, stays true to the brand’s philosophy: clothes should work effortlessly in everyday life.
For Fall/Winter 2025, Billionaire Boys Club turns its focus to Jamaican sound system culture, drawing from the raw energy of dancehall, reggae, and lovers rock.
Borsalino’s Fall/Winter 2025 campaign, captured by Pablo di Prima and shaped by Agata Belcen’s art direction, turns hats into something more than accessories. They become extensions of the people wearing them, subtle yet full of presence.
A reimagined version of their classic Plantaris, this ultra-limited release swaps the usual for titanium, turning a familiar shape into something that feels like it’s from 2075.
With a remarkable voice that challenges the status quo, Marval Rex is redefining cultural + transgender identities through the lens of comedy, performance, and thoughtful discourse.
Turn the page. Breathe deep. Your pupils are already dilating. The high is coming.
Issue 26 brings together two electrifying covers that take the dopamine dive from Sadiq Desh captured by Cris Cerdeira to multidisciplinary visual artist and photographer Tomás Pintos’ cover story, Besos hasta agotar stock (Kisses Until Sold Out), developed from the live performance creating a space where glamour
meets exhaustion.
