Balenciaga Unveils 'The Lost Tape' Pre-Fall 2022 Collection

The Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2022 collection, titled “The Lost Tape," is, in fact, presented in film form. Directed by Harmony Korine, the project begins backstage in moments of preparation before the secret show recorded a few weeks ago in the presence of a high-profile audience including Diane Pernet, Isabelle Huppert, Naomi Campbell, and Esther Cañadas. Each of them gave their review of the show and the '90s atmosphere created by creative director Demna Gvasalia. 

The video, shot in the manner of a ruined VHS with yellowish hues, recalls an era of clothing based on crude ideas like anti-fashion, where deconstruction and monochromatic minimalism reigned. Throughout, the fashion show is characterized by the underground people and symbols that defined this late '90s era. The collection symbolically fills a void from Balenciaga's forgotten years, in a transition between one creative director and another in 1996, before the arrival of Nicolas Ghesquière in 1997.

The raver and post-grunge silhouettes are pushed to the limit in an alternation of oversized and slim proportions, Balenciaga's trademark, as are the beret jacket and the tracksuit. The men's jacket is worn backward, the lapels are held together by a safety pin and become a dress with a v-neck on the back, the large fly sunglasses (typical of the late '90s to early '00s) are the most used accessory, parka down jackets become couture with bell shapes and a built-in cushion, tweed dresses have irregularly positioned closures, t-shirts show midriffs, and belts have thick buckles and heavy chains.

Vintage dresses are disassembled and reassembled to become raglan mono-sleeves, while five-pocket jeans can become a three-piece silhouette that is worn as a miniskirt, trousers, or thigh-high cuissardes boots. Additionally, the collection also features a hybrid trench coat that is similar to a bathrobe, a lime green faux fur coat, and a square yellow sheath dress. These are the few touches of color for a collection that mostly consists of darker, more muted pieces (with plenty of leather garments). Relaxed low-rise trousers and jeans are complemented by a double-B belt that lengthens the proportions; a detachable bow of a couture puffer jacket can be used as a scarf. Among the accessories, there is a cowboy-style Excavator boot that reaches the knee, a unisex ballerina with a square toe called Kensington, and the Lindsay bag which reinterprets a Balenciaga classic. The Emo bag combines fetish leather straps with eyelets, extra hardware, and super stone-washed leather.

For this season, Balenciaga continues demonstrating its commitment to eco-conscious practices by using 89.6 percent certified sustainable ready-to-wear and printed fabrics, as well as creating many of the clothing and accessories in this collection with recycled leather. 

Balenciaga also announced that Gvasalia will only be using his first name from now on to distinguish his artist title from his birth name and thus, separate his creative work from his personal life. For all communications concerning him he, therefore, chooses to be referred to simply as Demna.