Kim Kardashian Causes Couture Commotion in Curve-Hugging Balenciaga at Paris Fashion Week
Paris fashion week brings out the most avant-garde looks, but Kim Kardashian proved iconic style need not be so outré. Attending the Balenciaga Fall 2023 ready-to-wear show on Sunday, the multi-hyphenate mogul captivated the front row in an au courant LBD that epitomized her signature, sensual aesthetic.
Ever the Balenciaga ambassador, Kardashian modeled a black lace design with Gvasalia’s couture-worthy construction: a figure-tracing bodice with strategic cutouts, frothy bell sleeves and a fishtail train that whispered across the parquet floors of Le Bourget.
Far from basic, however, the cocktail dress impressed with artful details like the décolletage-diving V-neckline, sheer paneled skirts and open, arched back. Kardashian allowed the delicate fabrics and silhouettes to shine by keeping accessories minimal: a matte black smartphone case and pert set of nude stiletto nails visible beneath the gown’s diaphanous sleeves.
Her beauty look followed suit in its modern simplicity. Sculpted cheeks, defined brows and signature smoky eyes were blended to perfection beneath a severely-slicked high ponytail. deviating from the avant basic appeal, however, Kardashian sported a set of rapier-sharp stiletto nails.
While her monochromatic look synced seamlessly with the slinky all-black Balenciaga collection revealed on the catwalk, Kardashian’s arrival caused a stir of its own outside the venue. She and daughter North West preempted the show with a coordinated mother-daughter moment, twinning in lug-soled Boots and black sunnies from Balenciaga’s apocalypse-ready Fall 2023 menu.
The styling session came on the heels of Kardashian’s January announcement as the label’s newest brand ambassador. She cheekily flaunted her contract status by posing with Balenciaga merch — including $3,000 hourglass handbags for her and North — captioning the shoot “BALENCIAGA BABES.”
The new role garnered some criticism as Balenciaga faced backlash last December for ad campaigns featuring children with BDSM motifs. Kardashian voiced disappointment in the scandal, but ultimately defended Demna’s vision and her continued relationship with the brand.
Her ongoing support manifests a deeper ideological alliance taking shape in Balenciaga’s disruptive designs. Gvasalia’s latest collection confronted climate change head-on, opening with dystopian fare fit for the apocalypse. Survivalist parkas, string vests, and combat boots channeled a gripping anxiety for the future of fashion.
Kardashian’s ambassadorship signals faith that Balenciaga – with guidance from Gvasalia and influential advocates like herself – might pioneer solutions beyond the symptomatic overconsumption plaguing the industry. Her edgy, future-facing ensemble intimated readiness to lead couture into an age demanding more progressive purpose than shock value. With her premiering a sweeping ballgown look that felt more galvanizing than gimmicky, perhaps a more enlightened era emerges on the horizon.
