Standing TALL

With its striking elongated silhouettes, inventive takes on couture, and clever tie-ups, the Balenciaga Spring 2025 parade couldn't be dampened even by the day's rainstorm

- IAN LEE

Sometimes, as they say, when it rains, it pours. As show time drew near, on that second last day of May, it became clear that Balenciaga's Spring 2025 show house's first runway event in Shanghai would have to make room for one more guest: the persistent downpour.

Not that anyone was fretting. Plan B, where B stands for Balenciaga, meant that the outdoor show, which took place at dusk by The Museum of Art Pudong, with a splendid view of the city's skyline and The Bund, would go on just fine.

Sure enough, even in the incessant rain, the collection stood tall - quite literally too. Demna, Creative Director of Balenciaga, sent out extremely elongated and vertical silhouettes, which were influenced by the endlessly tall buildings of Pudong that were in plain sight from the show venue.

These were enhanced by layered platform sneakers and stacked boots, also a nod to Shanghai's skyscrapers.

The true surprise of the evening came when the Maison's ambassador and Thai star, PP Krit emerged on the runway in the third look of the collection.

Postshow, he revealed to L'OFFICIEL SINGAPORE that practice in the towering boots indeed made the perfect runway walk.