All the hottest stars on the Balenciaga front row rocked monochrome black—well, almost, all.
Paris Fashion Week is in full swing and monochrome style has dominated the front rows across fashion capitals. The color du jour has varied from New York and London to Milan and Paris, but for the Balenciaga show on March 7, the dress code was black. Friends, ambassadors and regular guests of the brand, from Turkish actor Afra Saraçoğlu to Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams, got the memo, delivering standout monochrome style.
But First, a Lesson on Balenciaga Black
If you know a thing or two about Balenciaga’s history and design heritage, you’ll know the brand has, since its very beginnings, been synonymous with clean, structural forms, rigorous construction and smart use of tonality. From the days of founder Cristobal Balenciaga and beyond, head-to-toe black has been one of the Spanish House’s main signatures. In fact, many credit the master couturier for reinventing black, from a “a funeral color ” to a luxury and high fashion staple.
For Balenciaga, black was more than a color. The designer regarded it as a sign of purity; vibrant, exact and complex; capable of revealing flaws, but also able to create something beautiful through the interplay of textures and materials.
Balenciaga’s devotion to black has lived on through the years and the tenures of the brand’s creative directors, from Nicolas Ghesquière and Michel Goma to Demna and Pierpaolo Piccioli.
Piccoli, in fact, presented a slew of all-black looks on his most recent runway, presented at Champs Elysées. The occasion was naturally a fashion playground for the VIP guests and showgoers supporting the designer’s latest effort at the helm of the brand. And, as you might imagine, monochrome black reigned supreme on the front row.
(Almost) All the Cool Kids Wore Black
On the front row, the cool kids of Balenciaga wore total looks that thrived on a combination of textures, bold, daring and absolutely exquisite.
Havana Rose Liu went the avant-garde route, dressed in a mini dress with sculptural boning around the shoulders and chest. Bill Skarsgard, star of It and Nosferatu, kept things classy but audacious, going for black pants, a white button-down shirt and tie, paired with a long leather coat.
Hudson Williams, recently appointed as Friend of the House in the first cohort of celebrities joining Balenciaga since Pierpaolo Piccioli took the brand’s reins, rocked a relaxed-fit silhouette. His outfit consisted of black wide-legged trousers and a black T-shirt, complete with a leather blouson jacket. The key to Williams’ ensemble was how the juxtaposition of fabrics added dynamism and shine to his overall appearance. Plus, he leveled it all up with accessories: wayfarer sunglasses, chunky sole shoes and a Rodeo handbag, all in black, of course.
RELATED STORY
Heritage Brands, Asian Stars and Heated Rivalry Boost Media Impact Value at Men’s and Couture Fashion Week
South Korean actor Roh Yoon-Seo, another Friend of the House, opted for an LBD (little black dress) with decorative feathers in the skirt and sequined motifs throughout. The Crash Course in Romance star kept things cohesive with tights, long leather gloves and the new Duchesse pumps in patent leather.
Meanwhile, Afra Saraçoğlu—who you might recognize from Turkish productions such as Yalı Çapkını, Bad Boy and more recently, A.B.İ.—upgraded monochrome style with statement details. On her third consecutive appearance on the Balenciaga VIP section, the actor wore slim-fit trousers with a halterneck chiffon crop top. The piece brought attention to its open back with a large tying detail and was complemented with a pair of leather gloves reaching the biceps.
The actor continued to make a case for one-hued looks with her after-party look, which combined a bandeau micro top with a pencil skirt and high-knee boots.
Balenciaga Black with a Twist
Though most of Balenciaga’s MVPs opted for black for the front row, some put a twist on black with separates and pops of color.
South Korean star Juyeon—Balenciaga brand ambassador, front row fixture and master of the Balenciaga Black look—departed from his classic all-black get-ups. He still wore a black outfit (washed denim pants and a T-shirt), but added a demure pop of color with a chocolate brown leather jacket adorned with studs and the Balenciaga logo on the back. (Talk about being a Balenciaga boy through and through.)
Barbara Palvin did something similar, pairing an asymmetric denim skirt with a leather bomber jacket and the iconic Le City bag.
But Not all the Best-Dressed Wore Black
As much as we love a Balenciaga black moment, some other noteworthy VIPs at the event absolutely forewent the color. Best-dressed showgoers like PP Krit and Vittoria Ceretti, instead, embraced earthy tones and warm hues.
PP Krit, one of Balenciaga’s darlings, who has even had his face printed on brand tees, stood out among the sea of black with a dune-colored denim set. His fit combined the classic jeans and trucker jacket pairing with a white tank top and sude accessories (work-style boots and a handbag).
