Demna Gvasalia has been designing for Balenciaga for three and a half year years now, and in that time his designs for the brand have become street style staples. Fans of the brand have come to expect logo heavy collections and quirky bags designed to make a statement. And while Balenciaga’s logo bags have become a staple amongst the fashion crowd, Gvasalia’s latest designs are flipping the switch. For Spring 2020, the designer presented a sleek collection, filled with new bag designs and minimal branding.
The standout new design presented on the runway was a chic, structured bag with a short shoulder strap. Models carried the bag by hand, which has a small flap closure and accordion gusseted sides. There were both smooth leather versions as well as textured leathers in what appear to be embossed lizard and croc. Personally, I’m drawn to this design, and I like the fresh new direction that Gvasalia is taking. Another notable new shape is a smaller flap bag, also with a short shoulder strap. This design features a bit more branding, with a ‘B’ lock hanging from the bag’s closure. Despite the presentation of sleek new designs, there were a few designs that remained true to Balenciaga’s brand DNA. The quirkiest design came in the form of a top handle bowler bag with a Hello Kitty design. It was presented alongside hand carried clutch bags with the bold ‘Balenciaga’ graphic fans have come to expect. View the entire collection below.
[images via Vogue Runway]
