Doing the business: Ghesquière goes to work

Nicolas Ghesquière took inspiration from Parisian businesswomen from the 90s. Models trooped out in a selection of ‘bad-taste’ gold lamé and diaphanous dresses, black racer-back slip dresses with gold fabric appliquéd in tiger print, and cobalt blue bomber jackets worn over sheer black panelled dresses.

Styling continued the theme with extreme side partings, dangly earrings and shoulder bags. The show climaxed with a string of bonded neoprene sweatshirts featuring 90s computer game imagery and slogans including Join a Weird Trip and Out of the Blue, worn with ruffle collar shirts and white circle-cut skirts.

Balenciaga has elevated the pop-culture trend shown earlier by Jeremy Scott at New York Fashion Week. While Scott is famed for irreverent avant-garde collections, Balenciaga is an iconic luxury brand, founded in 1918, whose approach is usually conceptual rather than ironic.

Designers are increasingly challenging our perception of what is tacky or in bad taste, creating a cool modern aesthetic for young fashion-conscious consumers.