BALENCIAGA PARIS F/W 2010

Fittingly, the show took place at the legendarily posh Hotel Crillon, but was shown on a decidedly 21st century brightly illuminating square-gritting catwalk.  This underscored Ghesquiere's forward-thinking aesthetic, and incorporated new digital techniques (a la Hussein Chalayan) with traditional couture-like craftsmanship.

 
There were blocked and striped panels, waist-cinched sweaters paired with gorgeous patterned ¾ length pants contrastingly cuffed at the bottom,which stood out as the perfect balance between fashion-as-art and perfectly wearable looks. Similarly, a slew of paper-printed tops (reminiscent of John Galliano for Dior’s homeless-inspired collection) showed off the designer unique ability to work with fabrics, textures, and innovative shapes.

 
Wing-like details that looked like they may have been insect or cocoon-inspired found their way onto the backs of a handful of contrastingly colored tops, further proving that the designer is truly a master when it comes to creating dramatic shapes and textures in wearable ways.

 
As for the shoes? I expect Victoria Beckham to be sporting the fabulously futuristic designs in the coming months.

Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.