Balenciaga is Beyond Retro

The thing that I have been really lacking and needing in the past few months is time to do my little fashion experimentations that don't necessarily need a lot of manpower/effort but do need a bit of thought and the shopping trips to facilitate stumbling upon the right raw materials.  Fashion is like my geek subject that I pore over most unhealthily and I only wish I could buy more time to do that. 

When people commented on the 'WTF' fabric as being very Balenciaga-ish, when you really think about it, vintage stores/thrift stores/charity shops are absolutely full of floral prints that would all happily nod in that Balenciaga SS08 direction if you so wish.  Personally, I took to the shapes more than the prints in my initial reaction but now, the contrast between the technical body sculpture and the slightly garish original Cristobal Balenciaga prints pushes and pulls each other in all the right ways.

So with some X'mas spare time, and taking advantage of the unusually quiet Beyond Retro in Soho, I picked up a blue floral dress with inbuilt shoulder pads, something of an old lady dress.  Then with some shape building makeshift underwear/padding (black corset, puffball skirt and netting) and some tucking in, an on-the-cheap homage occurs.  It will take a bit of permanent fixing to wear out but the elastic on the puffball skirt is such that, it's pretty much secure when all the tucking in is done. 

Comments

[dk_fashionblogger]

Wow, that's brilliant. Great job, Susie! You wear it so well.

I hope you enjoy the holidays!

[rollergirl]

Genius... nuff said!

[Dee]

Susie, you're a wonder! I love that shape. I'm going to give it a try when I have some spare time.

[Allure]

You're brilliant! Your creativity and imagination are endless.

[hadiza]

wow, thats amazing i'm gonna try that myself now, where did you get those socks from? they're really cool

[WendyB]

Amazing DIY!

[bryanboy]

pure brilliance! you're immortal!!!

[Stephanie]

Susie, you're a genius! I wish I had your clothes altering talents and shoulders (I'm a swimmer and so mine look absolutely ludicrous with shoulder pads).

[selina]

brilliant!! and your legs are sooo long!

[hadiza]

Is the skirt of the dress tucked in to the waist of the puffball skirt or did you cut it?

[La Nouvelle Heloise]

Simply fashion-tastic! I have been working on a post which will list Beyond Retro (one of my faves) and other vintage haunts in London and now I shall include a link to your fab style solution.

[raq]

WOW! that's really brilliant! and i love your socks and shoes!

[faux faux real]

wow, you make it look so easy to alter clothes. nice posing, too. i like the door as your background.

[Dru]

The colour-and-shape combination looks fantastic here, though you've probably pulled off a small miracle of engineering in getting the dress to hold that form :)
And I really like the way the white line on the top of your grey socks follows the line of the straps of your shoes.

[Saskia]

oh, this one's made for me! my style exactly, absolutely gorgeous. well done, susie!
i'd like to know how you created that skirt, how did you do it? and what's a "puffball skirt"? i'd really like to create such a dress myself.

merry christmas, by the way. :-)

[susie_bubble]

First off...thank you for your comments... but clearly I have too much time on my hands, non?

Answers to Questions!

The socks are actually by Marjan Pejoski and they are sheer with white and black embroidery. I layered them over some black opaque knee highs.

The shoes are vintage 1920's multi-strapped white patent shoes that I got off eBay.

I didn't make the skirt. It's a cream puffball skirt from H&M. A puffball skirt means that the hem is elasticated to create a bubble shape. It also means I can tuck the netting and the floral dress in the elasticated hem without sewing anything as the hem is quite secure in holding everything in.

[bigglassesgirl]

that show was amazing, this turned out amazing. Great job!

[ariana]

oh susie, that's fantastic!

[M]

i guess i'm in the minority when i say, oh, honey, i am not feeling this.

[heather]

oh goodness, I just love the whole thing, but mostly the layered socks.

[amy may]

i love the dress, but not with the socks. i like navy & black together sometimes, but not here. maybe navy socks instead, susie?

[Kajsa]

Omg. Thats sooooo cool! Im not the biggest fan of Balenciagas dress but you putted it of briliantly with your home made dress with the Balenciagainspired volume! :D

[ladivasosa]

Amazing Susie!! Amazing!!

[Tinetush]

Ah, susie you are brilliant. ! I've always been a fan of floral printed dresses. And the Balenciaga ones almost made me drool.. I've picked up a few of these dresses from second-hand shops as well. I think I need one more (to alter) :p

[SwanDiamondRose]

i have been in love with that Balenciaga dress since it came out. your interpretation is wonderful.

[Style and the City - Paris]

Hi Susie

i cant' be at the london fashion week.
so i'm looking for people you could take some photos for me.
could you help me ?

ps : is my blog belonging to the big guns ?
lol

i would like to have your opinion concerning my street style photo romances in Paris.
It would help me to improve my work and create ans english site
to read the photo romances translated in english, clic the "in english section"

Thank you for your concern

Kamel LAHMADI
street style romancer in Paris