With Balenciaga there’s another traditional brand heading towards streetwear led by the creative director Demna Gvasalia. Currently, the baseball caps from Balenciaga can be seen on the heads of the fashion influencers. Yet, when do the borders between high fashion and streetwear actually fall? Not everything coming from a luxury brand such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Balenciaga equals high fashion. Especially nowadays, many luxury brands like to implement sportswear into their collection and show them at runway shows. But still, the brands often differentiate between haute couture and prêt-à-porter. Bottom-line: Just because it was made by a luxury brand doesn’t mean that it’s high fashion. An interesting observation is the trend of streetwear kids from New York suddenly going shopping at luxury stores. A trend which has been increasing over the last few years and has made luxury brands more interesting for streetwear buyers.
Haute couture shows like those from Dior, Gucci or Dolce & Gabbana excite and seduce fashion enthusiasts into another world. The shows are a dream just like the clothing that is presented. It just happens to be so that the majority of people want clothing which is streetwear and young and not ready-to-wear fashion which resembles haute couture. With all due respect to tailoring but today it just doesn’t work without the mix of high and street fashion. Important brands such as Louis Vuitton have recognized this a long time ago and adapted by collaborating with brands that have a completely different style (or aren’t they that different anymore?).
