Salma Hayek arriving at the Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2012 show in Paris yesterday. Photo:Getty
DESIGNER: Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga
IN A NUTSHELL: The Balenciaga show got its A-list audience talking for all the wrong reasons today, when much of benched seating collapsed under the weight of its wispy guests, forcing organisers to ask everyone to stand during the show for safety reasons (quelle horreur). But, fortunately for Ghesquière, that wasn't the only talking point. "It's a labyrinth, and I wanted to do marquetry, precious wood and metal, something warmer with the geometry," Ghesquière said backstage. There was a 60s-does-the future feel to the block colour, shimmering silver and sculpted silhouettes - resulting, we're told, from Ghesquière nosying the Balenciaga archives. His fascination with techno fabrics came full circle too - neoprene-like constructs were actual made from silks.
BEG, BORROW OR STEAL: Denim made an appearence this season and we loved the inky high-waist versions that Ghesquière shows. They were quite jeans, but as close as you can get with Balenciaga.And one of the galactic sou'westers - perfect for April showers.
F-ROW: Catherine Deneuve and Salma Hayek were amongst the celebrities patiently standing for the show.
VERDICT: This show gave us two important lessons. One: Contrary to popular assumptions, the collapsing benches suggest that the fashion industry might be ready for a collective diet. And two: Ghesquière has always been master of the unfamiliar and daring, but this season he showed that we can create truly wearable, interesting designs too. Of course, whether this is the first and last time that Balenciaga jeans make their way onto the catwalk remains to be seen...