First thing I had on my mind, while watching Balenciaga‘s spring-summer 2018, was the photo of my dad carrying toddler-me in a park. He was wearing a pair of too big pants, a huge anorak and a quite unflattering knitted sweater. In other words – he looked like a Balenciaga model, who has just walked down the runway in the Bois de Boulogne park.

So what’s Demna Gvasalia up to this season? “There is nothing more beautiful than seeing young dads with their kids,” he said. The designer invited his friends from Zürich (the city of Vetements’ new HQ), who have kids; some models were street-casted a few days before the show in Paris; others where simply teen-aged sons and daughters of creatives, who work at Balenciaga. The idea of tranquility, peace, everyday pleasures like a walk to the park with your kid, appeals to Gvasalia since he ended with his night-life period. Comfort is a keyword this season, as the Balenciaga man simply goes to the suburbs, wearing his fashion-unconscious white shirt, a drapey jacket and bleached jeans. With a Balenciaga bike, of course, nearly sold-out at Colette right now.

Also, this collection is the undisputable peak of ugliness (in case of clothing). However, it’s real. And Demna loves to find inspiration in reality. While last men’s season was all about corporate dressing, this time it’s about the same men, but on the weekends.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.