Redhuck Technology News: Alexander Wang’s First Handbag Collection for Balenciaga

I will admit, when it was announced that Alexander Wang would be Nicholas Ghesquière’s successor at Balenciaga, I was skeptical. Ghesquière had held the reigns at Balenciaga for 15 years, and Wang was known for his athletic apparel. Yet when the first collection debuted, I was quick to choke on my tongue. Wang proved himself a terrific fit for the French house and has continued to impress me with his work for them as well as his eponymous label.

To go along with the exquisite clothing offered in the Balenciaga fall 2013 collection, a woman needs great accessories. Enter the new handbag line designed by Wang, named “Le Dix”. The title, which means the number 10 in French, allude’s to the house’s history (the site of the original Balenciaga salon is 10 avenue George V). In an interview with CR Fashion Book, Wang makes it clear that the name was a perfect fit:

“Le Dix refers to the original address where Balenciaga was founded,” the designer explains. “It was also the brand’s first fragrance. It was only natural that this heritage also be translated into a bag for this first collection.”

The new collection is a move in a completely different direction from the house’s best-selling motorcycle bag. CR Fashion Book describes it perfectly:

“A hallmark of the new collection, and a departure from the house’s best-selling motorcycle bag, is structure: a stiff, top-handle design meant to be carried by hand or over the shoulder with an accompanying strap. The other key sentiment is discretion. This is a bag that whispers its status via sleek, surprising details like elongated metal feet; mixed palladium and gold hardware; and contrasting full leather lining (here: a dignified forest green calfskin exterior and rich black Napa interior). It all makes for a collection that cleverly straddles past and future, the synthesis of which is completely Balenciaga.”

photos via CR Fashion Book