BALENCIAGA: CHOOSE THE COPY OVER THE ORIGINAL

In the grand theatre of fashion, creative directors come and go, millions change hands, yet ideas sometimes seem to travel on a one-way ticket.

The appointment of Martine Rose as Creative Director of Balenciaga is already making headlines. A British designer at the helm of the legendary fashion house: surely the dawn of a bold new creative era. But on closer inspection, certain inspirations appear to have arrived well before their supposed new owner.

In 2022, French designer Dgena Mouclier dressed Vegedream in a crushed orange velvet jacket, adorned with white piping and her signature “DM” monogram. Two years later, a piece bearing the Martine Rose label displayed a rather striking resemblance. Same colour, same aesthetic, same zip-up silhouette. Apparently, creativity now comes with a two-year delivery service.

Of course, any resemblance could be purely coincidental. In fashion, coincidence can be remarkably talented, especially when it comes to rediscovering someone else’s ideas. Young designers, meanwhile, rarely have the financial resources to turn a suspicious coincidence into a legal battle. They create, publish and innovate, while others, seemingly lacking ideas of their own, take possession of the narrative and claim the creative spotlight.

One question remains: when an idea is born in an independent designer’s studio and resurfaces two years later elsewhere, who deserves the applause? The person who first imagined it, or the one backed by the biggest public relations department?

Luca de Meo’s choice is already off to a questionable start. And in an industry so eager to celebrate originality, perhaps it is time to remember that talent does not always begin at the doors of the great fashion houses.

A female version of Roustintin? Well, that should make for a delightfully entertaining future at Balenciaga. After all, life has a funny way of bringing people face to face again.

FM