Balenciaga SS24 Ready-to-Wear: Hair and Makeup

On October 1st 2023, Balenciaga put forward a divine approach to Paris Fashion Week with their spring-summer (“SS24”) ready-to-wear collection. Creative director Demna has taken a refined approach to this runway, enforcing a large scale of differentiated looks. Drastic drapes of theatre curtains accompanied the collection, standing high above the catwalk, defining class and melodramatic means.

This theatrical display is a direction of fashion fundamentals and a sophisticated presentation of today’s mixed emotions towards garments. The looks hold various aesthetics and feelings, making it an extensive application to the industry. Although this ready-to-wear is an interesting addition to fashion week, I am not here to speak intensely about the clothing involved.

This critique is a direct overview exploring the creative nature of the hair and makeup worn by participating models. As this was a large-scale presentation, a handful of standouts encouraged me to address the looks from the shoulders up! 

Gender 

I write regularly about the definitions of gender within fashion culture and how, in modern times, they are explored and blurred more frequently. Gender has always been experimented with as it’s established as more artistic and avant-garde to question societal normalities. I detected prominent forms of masculinity and femininity among the majority of models used, although there is a selection of blurred lines with exposures of androgyny.

In regards to hair and makeup, it is easy to demonstrate androgynous qualities through the expression of colours, shape, and styling. When typically masculine structures are met with colour and interesting dimensions (whether that be hair or makeup), masculinity and femininity can interlink. Depending on the form of expression, any colour can be utilised as masculine or feminine, and this is exemplified across these models. 

Balenciaga’s Hair Brief

Whether stylists intentionally coloured the hair in relevance to the show or these models simply showed up with these colourful dos, I am a huge fan of the alternative inclusion.

Common stereotypes dictate that models must appear as blank slates in accordance with the brand. This establishes that accepting alternative models is a refreshing incorporation, especially in luxury fashion. There is no relation between colourful or natural hair and the collection as a whole. It’s not an obviously cohesive line, which was an intentional effort from Demna, leaning towards a lenient display of variety. 

A vibrancy of colours is exhibited scarcely across the collection but holds its own detail of artistry. Whenever someone has the courage and creative incentive to wear coloured hair, it’s a standout point of the line.

Bright hair is a statement and a persistent one. My eyes are immediately drawn to coloured hair, which is unnaturally artistic. Whether this was deliberately planted to grasp attention, it definitely took over for me in relation to the runway itself. You cannot ignore the vibrant displays of locks. 

Styling of the hair seems to be relative to the length and model, which is the traditional and most logical way of presenting hair. The stylings are nothing too out of the ordinary or extravagantly represented. This may be because of the lack of cohesive matches and the fact the coloured hair is already a piece on its own.

Besides one or two wet looks with slick techniques, the stylists played into the natural formations of the hair. I can only assume that if avant-garde styles were applied to this runway, it would completely change the aesthetic and draw attention directly away from the garments. There’s a reason for everything coerced and collaborated behind the scenes on a runway. 

Balenciaga SS24 Makeup

I love analysing makeup used on runways, as I have experience in this field. In particular, with runway makeup, I know a thing or two about the behind-the-scenes roles. Avant-garde and punk makeup applications are scattered throughout this collection, forming an elaborate and creative aspect of the line as a whole.

Traditionally, when you are hired for a catwalk event, you will be given mood boards and general direction towards what the brand is looking for in relation to the cosmetic application. Most of the time, designers and creative directors insist on plain glam or basic skin treatment. On rare occasions such as this, there is a broader guide to the makeup involved. From experience, the artists participating were grateful for this loosely based job. The moderate rules allow for free creative reign and a better example of avant-garde styles of an expressive nature. Particularly, the more easy-going the direction is from those organising the styling for a runway, the more expressive artists may be. 

I would identify these faces as dramatic and desirable. The well-produced shapes and colours follow an eccentric quirk. As I have previously explained, I know that makeup artists are likely to have a restricted time limit behind the scenes, possibly bringing these applications into a rush. Despite the typically stressful and pressurised atmosphere, these applications resulted in successfully beautiful models ready to take on the catwalk. 

The Balenciaga Approach 

My preferred areas of expertise are alternative and expressive approaches to cosmetics and hair styling. It is inviting, exciting, and, overall, additionally artistic. I felt obliged to exhibit my views on this particular group of models due to its divine forms of beauty. The gorgeous colours demonstrated relay the fashion-forward and chic aesthetic put together by Demna.

Balenciaga did an admirable job with their strong entry into Paris Fashion Week and definitely made a good impression on audiences. I must always reiterate the importance of details in relation to piecing an entire look together; hair and makeup are crucial. I love witnessing higher fashion brands explore the vast possibilities of expression through hair and makeup organisations. Balenciaga did a well-rounded job on this.