This Is Not A Drill: Gucci x Balenciaga Is Here, See The Looks!

It’s a great time in a fashion as a key milestone has been achieved today: Gucci and Balenciaga have joined forces to create looks that we thought would never see the light of day. Though it’s not officially a Gucci x Balenciaga collaboration, the looks are still a wonderful mishmash of the two powerhouse’s iconic looks, silhouettes, and logos. 

Last night, Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele released “Gucci Aria,” the first collection from Gucci’s 100th year celebration this 2021. If Gucci knows how to make noise, it is definitely through this explosive release of a Gucci and Balenciaga workmanship. Part of the show last night was the release of looks that hold the two fashion house’s logos into some of the looks. Alessandro said after the show though that is it not a collaboration but more of a “hack”.  “Gucci becomes for me a hacking lab, made of incursions and metamorphoses,” says Alessandro in an interview. And hack he did taking iconic Balenciaga silhouettes and infusing them with Gucci sensibilities. Nipped suits, over the shoulder puffer jackets, shoulder-padded coats—these are Demna Gvasalia’s Balenciaga looks that made the brand recognisable today. But in a 21st century spin, Alessandro twisted these looks and morphed them into his 100th year collection. 

Out came looks such as the glitter suit with “Gucci” and “Balenciaga” emblems in bags, jackets, shoes. The rule-breaking collection is a case study on how luxury can move forward. While Gucci has done seasoned collabs in the past like with Moncler and The North Face, it is the first time that two Kering-owned brands of such calibre have drummed up a collection to this extent. It only shows how brands today have the power to be a platform that can shell out products that are new and relevant and out of the box—only if helmed by a master curator such as the creative director.

While partnerships like this can pave the way for a new template, it is surely something that can be overly hyped and might not work for everyone. This, though, is the perfect example of how you do it. 

See some of the Gucci and Balenciaga looks in the gallery below!

Art by Raff Colmenar

Photos courtesy of Gucci