Radical. Revolutionary. rocking. But the location was almost romantic. With her Spring Summer 2024 show, designer Olivia Ballard takes us to an antique garden, including a punk concert.
Olivia Ballard Spring Summer 2024- Loud, edgy and antique
At Olivia Ballard’s you felt like you were on an all-inclusive holiday: dinner, concert and show all rolled into one. And that in the Garden of Eden, just freshly reinterpreted. As if it were a modern variation on the Last Supper, a long table artistically decorated with grapes, fruit and vegetables, fragrant flatbread and Mediterranean vases stretched across the runway. The specially curated table arrangement, designed by Matthew Bianchi, Be Assembly and Table Farrah, was color harmonized with the garden surroundings. Even the sky, in the last rays of sunset, seemed to reflect the colors of the table.
Rockstar meets Romantic
A male model opened the show powerfully with “Here comes”. He was followed by a platinum blonde model in a rumpled dress and boots for the show. Rocky, punky. Blurring the lines between masculine and feminine, this collection is designed for people of all sizes and genders. Later, curvy models appeared in transparent dresses and senior models in little fabric. One featured a model striding past in a sheer, floor-length lilac dress, while another showcased nude tones or bold smash patterns. In general, the show was characterized by one-shoulder creations.
Naked Dresses bei Olivia Ballard
In general, Olivia Ballard allowed a lot of skin. The young designer sees her Spring Summer 2024 collection as a kind of body study. Through her conscious choice of materials, she explored “how the body can bring form, life and individuality to each handmade garment.” She deliberately manipulated fabrics, creating intricate braided patterns, various knots, ruffles, and drapes, allowing the body to do the show left. With her Spring Summer 2024 collection, she questions common ideals of beauty and what lies behind the transformative power of fashion. The collection and location testified to a concept of reinvention. Particular importance was attached to a complete reinterpretation of both the location and the setting. The river pool, which served as a public swimming pool during the Weimar Republic, will reopen as a creative campus in autumn.
There was a lot going on on the catwalk. Starting with the hair and makeup. Men wore colorful eye make-up, senior models had a distinctive gray hairline, but the tips were clearly brown. Other models had gelled punk hairdos and shimmers under their eyes. Drüber would not be reinvented. It was more than a show, the runway, performance art and model mixed as three models suddenly walked back into the building and began playing songs at windows on different floors. There was also something personal behind it: since she was from New York and already made a name for herself in the Berlin club scene, it was the New York post-punk band cumgirl8 that she chose. Words like “Be mine” and “Do it” were clearly heard from the lyrics. An allusion?
This show was always revolutionary. A model took off her shoes, drummers and guitarists gave their all. The band was arguably the most stylish, luxurious yet rebellious band to stand for an inclusive future of fashion in a long time. Black sheep, according to the New Yorker, should be popular with her label.
Author: Marie Prinz – Photos: KOWA-Berlin