The Bally Spring/Summer 2023 collection, designed by Rhuigi Villaseñor, is a cosmopolitan exploration of European luxury through a distinctly American lens. Swiss leather craftsmanship, the lynchpin of Bally’s 171-year heritage, is applied to ready-to-wear and accessories for women and men with an innate sense of sophistication and humor in equal parts.
Reflecting on the ease of sportswear and its universal language—from Santa Monica to Sankt Moritz, Villaseñor approaches Bally’s DNA as a leather goods atelier with a lightness of hand, ushering in a new sensuality and glamour for the House. Bold and unapologetic, historical nods to the worlds of sports and cinema abound throughout a collection that walks on the wild side, marrying an elevated, youthful wardrobe with elements of ironic nostalgia. Daywear and evening wear collide in a wardrobe that exudes the confidence of the well-traveled.
“In fashion as in our daily lives, beauty is always linked to a sense of place and identity: Ideas and gestures we can understand and connect with on a personal level. When I discovered the Bally universe, it was clear to me that my energy and my point of view would be the catalyst for a renaissance, two decades since the last Bally runway show. Placing Swiss craft and European art of living in harmony with my own American story, I’ve called this collection ‘Ecdysis‘—a reset and a celebration of radical luxury,” shares Bally Creative Director Rhuigi Villaseñor.
The season draws upon a pantheon of materiality: tiger print suiting in silk velvet, double-breasted tailoring in summer wools, and shantung silk pajamas celebrate a soignée femininity in dialogue with a relaxed masculine attitude. Crafted in Villaseñor’s hometown of Los Angeles, engineered denim meets myriad expressions of Bally leather craftsmanship, from butter-soft suede to polished calfskin, stretch Nappa, and opulent metallics. Heirloom wardrobe pieces emerge in unexpected colors and combinations, from classic aviator jackets to louche tailored suits, trench coats, and safari-inspired separates.
Revolving around the House pillars of leather craftsmanship and timeless accessories, nods to the Swiss traditions of watchmaking and toy-making appear as chains and chokers, buckles, and bag hardware. Conceived by Rhuigi Villaseñor, a new stylized figure-8 device of interlocking B’s inspired by the Bally tradition of elastic-making becomes a striking emblem scaled up and down as a decorative Ourish throughout, joining melted baroque hardware and geometric chains that embellish frame bags, soft pouches, hobos and tongue-in-cheek ‘take-away’ hardcase maroquinerie.
The Bally footwear collection expands and evolves, embodying the season’s transatlantic spirit and playful details. From sculpted sandal heels and crystal mesh boots to embellished house slippers and archival Mary Janes with a Cuban heel, Villaseñor injects tangible new energy through Western details and worldly references. The result is a melting pot of radical luxury: a fresh conversation between the old world and the new.
Bally is located at Greenbelt 5, Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La Plaza, City of Dreams, Power Plant Mall, and Newport Mall.
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