Fashion's newest 'It' bag? Alexander Wang reveals his first handbag for Balenciaga - the VERY classic 'Le Dix'


When Alexander Wang was first installed as the creative director of Balenciaga, many onlookers found it difficult to envision his plans for the brand. That picture is becoming incrementally clearer as he launches his first handbag design for the label.

While Wang is known for a downtown, slightly vagabond look in his namesake label, his take on Balenciaga is shaping up to be far more refined. Balenciaga, a brand established by Cristobal Balenciaga in 1914, built its name upon sculptural silhouettes.

So far, Wang has tapped into that history with voluminous jackets and eveningwear, offset by sharp tailoring, all of which is typically fabricated in a monochromatic color scheme. 

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Balenciaga

New Look: Alexander Wang's 'Le Dix' bag for Balenciaga eschews the grungy glamour signature to his own line

This week Wang continued that vision with the release of his ‘Le Dix’ bag— the 29-year-old designer’s first major handbag design for the brand. Le Dix, which translates into ‘The Ten’, shares a name with a Balenciaga perfume that was launched in 1947. Its bottle design, constructed of bevelled glass, speaks to the bag’s feminine, art deco point of view.

The Le Dix bag, offered in a series of shapes and sizes, boasts a frame shape and is constructed of smooth, matte leather. Minimal metal hardware rounds out the graphic, pared-down purse which retails for approximately $2,000.

The bag provides a breath of fresh, ladylike air in the handbag market, especially considering Wang’s affinity for tough-luxe bags at his own label--an aesthetic shared with Balenciaga’s famous ‘City’ bag which was created by his predecessor, Nicolas Ghesquière.

In the luxury fashion market, massive handbag releases like these are no small deal. A successful handbag design is typically quite lucrative for luxury brands, who akin to perfume, utilize the leather goods market as access to massive profits that ready-to-wear clothing can rarely accomplish.

Alexander Wang
Nicolas Ghesquiere

Design Theory: Alexander Wang (L) took the helm of Balenciaga following Nicolas Ghesquière's (R) ousting

When the forward-thinking Ghesquière departed Balenciaga in 2012, the City bag was listed as one of his biggest commercial accomplishments. Following its release in the early aughts, the City was spotted on high-wattage contemporary style icons including Mary-Kate Olsen and Kate Bosworth.

The remainder of Ghesquière’s Balenciaga efforts were mainly concentrated towards critically-acclaimed, avant garde collections. It has been reported that Balenciaga’s holding company, PPR, was unhappy with these artistic inclinations.

Wang is expected to gear all of the brand’s facets towards widespread commercial success. Without a doubt, Le Dix is part of those efforts.

Given both Balenciaga and Wang’s individual talents for making a splash in the handbag market (Wang’s Rocco has also proven itself as a commercial hit), it is likely that Le Dix could take over from Céline’s Luggage tote as the new it-bag du jour.

Celine
Balenciaga City Bag

Fresh Blood: The Le Dix offers a breath of fresh air for handbag shoppers, potentially taking over favor from Céline's Luggage tote and Balenciaga's current top design, the City bag

Céline’s bag, while massively popular, is becoming a tired look, with knockoff pieces now circulating the floors of most high street retailers. Earlier this year, J. Crew even released its own answer to the bag.

But to fashion insiders, Le Dix is more than just a preview of a new It-bag to come. It also offers a preview of Wang’s macro ambitions for Balenciaga.

Though MailOnline has yet to see Le Dix up-close, photos of the bag show a well-rounded articulation of Wang’s Balenciaga concept thus far. Its somber colors, clean, slightly restrictive lines, and geometric detailing have already been spotted in his ready-to-wear collections, and are sure to be included in many more.

Video source YouTube

 

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