LOUISA BALLOU, TRANSFORMING CLOTHING INTO A WORK OF ART
Young designer Louisa Ballou transforms the pieces she designs into works of art. jets of paint, colorful motifs, prints and
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In the world of fashion, every house is distinguished by a style, a signature, an aura. While Louboutin opts for the red sole, Versace chooses the medusa head. But when codes are transposed, when brands collaborate and exchange inspirations like The Hacker Project by Balenciaga and Gucci, are we witnessing the beginnings of a new fashion?
Last September, social networks went into a frenzy when Richard Quinn, the English designer endorsed by Queen Elizabeth II, Beyoncé and Cardi B, was accused of copying the Balenciaga collections. Balenciaga collections by Demna. A perhaps too pronounced inspiration, also highlighted by Vogue Runway and the redoubtable Diet Prada on Instagram. But if fashion is the reflection of an era, if it is the mirror of society, how can we determine that one house is copying the style of another? When Christian Dior introduced the femme-fleur in 1947, he set a new standard for skirt length. So was it copying to follow in his footsteps? The notion is subjective. And that's what artistic directors Alessandro Michele and Demna have brilliantly proved with the unveiling of "The Hacker Project". This incredible collection will undoubtedly go down in the annals of fashion. The two illustrious houses have literally allowed themselves to copy each other, without consultation, giving life to the fusion between the two most popular brands according to The Lyst Index 2021 report. Gucci has seen the double "G" in its monogram changed to a "B", and iconic Balenciaga pieces have been reworked in Italian fashion, such as the famous Gucci Triple S sneaker. With The Hacker Project, the two successful designers have cleverly proved that fashion shines doubly bright when ideas are shared and exchanged. Could this initiative herald the era of a new approach to creation, in which the notion of intellectual property becomes more abstract? Purists be damned, the future of fashion is clearly in the plural!
By Cheynnes Tlili
Young designer Louisa Ballou transforms the pieces she designs into works of art. jets of paint, colorful motifs, prints and
