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| Aug 06: For a house that many believe is paving the way for the future of fashion, Balenciaga's online address was, until recently, anything but groundbreaking, containing little more than a smattering of collections photos and contact information in a barely-there design. Happily, the site has been updated in time for what can be called the summer of Balenciaga, with a landmark Paris exhibit celebrating the label's grand past and present while its namesake founder's voluminous proportions have popped up everywhere in this year's collections. Featuring the current ad campaign by Baron & Baron as a cover, the new and improved domain embraces multimedia and Flash in a way that's fitting for a brand that was propelled from revered obsolescence to the pinnacle of relevance by the visionary Nicolas Ghesquière, whose stores resemble lunar landscapes and whose much-lauded fall collection seems partly inspired by intergalactic troopers. The site's main purpose is to showcase current and recent Balenciaga collections, which is done inventively with angular cutout-style images. The aforementioned exhibit at the Louvre's Museum of Fashion and Textiles (co-curated by Ghesquière) is proudly promoted with a video and copious explanatory text (for stylish creeps, be sure to check out the "mummy droid" mannequins). There are other videos, too, including a sweet little ode to the label's popular "Classic" bag style. Of course, much of the label's allure consists of its mellifluous name and the mythical legacy of its founder; thus, the webmasters have duly included multiple ways of paying homage with bios, something called an online book that promises to grow monthly and an entertaining section devoted to the "Balenciaga spirit," exalting the qualities that made him arguably the greatest couturier of the 20th century, but also revealing the master's quirks ("smiling was strictly forbidden" and "voices were kept to a murmur" at the atelier). Between the hissy fits and futuristic bobby hats, there is much to enjoy.
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