Shattered, broken, undone and worn. In the last year, Balenciaga has made the trend destroyed its sign of identity.

First there were type sneakers Chat that went viral. Dirty, worn and with the name of the firm written on the side like graffiti, these are the Paris Sneakers (1,495 euros) that hit the market in May 2022.

After several scandals, the next destroyed garment that went on sale was a sweatshirt full of cuts and holes, the Destroyed Hoodie (990 euros), last October. Then it was the cap Laser Destroyed (295 euros). And, just a month ago, Balenciaga once again opted for the trend by destroying some jeans. We talk about the pantalon Baggy Super Destroyed (2,000 euros).

What’s behind?

When the fashion house launched the sneakersthe direct effect it had on consumers and industry professionals was to consider the reason for spending so much money (1,450 euros) on shoes that look like that.

The fashion house explained that the idea behind the campaign was to show what the shoes would look like after being worn for a hundred years, with the aim of raising awareness that footwear should be worn for a lifetime.

And that was precisely the slogan chosen for that line: “Designed to be used for a lifetime.” In this way, Balenciaga began to appeal to responsible consumption and long-term investments. Months later he repeated it with the sweatshirt, cap and jeans, which he sells at the same price as other luxury items in perfect condition.

The tendency destroyed

The concept of of construction with which these garments are identified is not something new. It was coined in the late 1960s by French philosopher Jacques Derrida. The term that refers to the process of breaking pre-established forms It applies to text, to architecture and, of course, also to fashion.

As it explains ELLE, the idea of ​​deconstructing is to contradict, challenge and destabilize established aesthetics. Precisely what the aforementioned Balenciaga garments do. Challenging the perception of beauty is one of the goals of deconstructed fashion.

But this trend is not new. As it advances ELLEdesigners such as Rei Kawakubo, Martin Margiela or Dries Van Noten of the avant-garde Parisians were, in the eighties, pioneers in what they called “le destruction”.

He grunge brought back this aesthetic and it is here to stay, conquering fashion savants like Gvasalia. In fact, after the viral sneakers sold out shortly after being launched, several brands, such as Golden Goose, joined the trend. And although the criticism has not been long in coming, one thing is clear, the trend is here to stay.

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