Great Outfits in Fashion History: Chloë Sevigny in Nicolas Ghesquière-Era Balenciaga
It was likely on one of my moodboards in 2006.
There are perfectly good celebrity style moments, and then there are the looks that really stick with you, the ones you try desperately to recreate at home. In 'Great Outfits in Fashion History,' Fashionista editors are revisiting their all-time favorite lewks.
It's fun to look back at the Nicolas Ghesquière era at Balenciaga (from 1997 to 2012), particularly his collections from the mid-aughts, and be reminded of all the trends and styles that stemmed from it (many of which I was inadvertently influenced by, I realize now). We can also recognize the hallmarks of his design that continue to this day, now that he's at Louis Vuitton — from strong rounded shapes to bold use of color and abstract, graphic prints.
Ghesquière's Balenciaga was beloved among celebrities, too, worn on the red carpet by current Louis Vuitton muses Jennifer Connelly and Emma Stone, as well as other influential style stars, like Sienna Miller and Chloë Sevigny. A particular stand-out was the structured, peplum-waisted black mini dress that Sevigny wore to a 2006 Cartier event, from Ghesquière's Fall 2006 collection for Balenciaga. That season, Sarah Mower wrote for Vogue at the time, the designer drew from house founder Cristobal Balenciaga's approach to silhouette, updating the shapes and details for a contemporary consumer.
Sevigny styled it much like how it appeared on the runway — except, she swapped the knee-high platform boots for heeled, ankle-strap pumps and ditched the tall hat worn by Liya Kebede when the look walked in Paris. It's an outfit that was likely on one of my moodboards in 2006 (and it'll likely be on one in 2020, to be honest.)
Shop Sevigny and Ghesquière-era Balenciaga inspired black dresses in the gallery, below.
Khaite Gwen Dress, $470 (from $1,880), available here
View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article
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