MONDAY 7:30 PM SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 PARIS
To be seen or not to be seen? At Balenciaga SS25, Demna Gvasalia presented the vision he’s been wedded to since childhood in what the designer called a “tribute to fashion with a point of view.” Models piled it on in hoodies, stuffed tote bags, and face-obscuring caps, then stripped down to glamorous lingerie and pube-grazing low-rise (as “Gimme More” played, apropos of nothing). After the show, our Editor-in-Chief Mel Ottenberg convened a crew of superstars, from Katy Perry and Kyle MacLachlan to Paloma Elsesser and Kim Petras, to find out which looks they loved the most.
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KATY PERRY
KATY PERRY: [Moans] Ugh, it’s so bright! [Puts on shades]
MEL OTTENBERG: Get ’em on, get ’em on.
PERRY: Gimme, gimme more. Hey, guys.
OTTENBERG: Do you need more?
PERRY: No.
OTTENBERG: Katy, it’s good to see you. Blast from the past.
PERRY: I know, it’s good to see you too.
OTTENBERG: This is Dara.
DARA: Hiiii.
PERRY: Hi, Dara.
OTTENBERG: Katy, you lived it all in this show. What do we need to bring back?
PERRY: I obviously want to wear something sparkly. I love the pink look as just a going to the grocery store look, you know?
Balenciaga SS25
OTTENBERG: Yeah, just throw on some leggings. I love a snap bracelet as a bandeau top.
PERRY: Exactly. I like the pants on top. It’s a very subtle look. It’s like, “Don’t look at me.”
OTTENBERG: Can we see your bag and your nails, please?
PERRY: Yeah. Here are the nails.
OTTENBERG: We were clocking your nails at the show.
PERRY: And my bag is… [Pulls out Jack Daniels]
OTTENBERG: Katy Perry, we love you.
PERRY: I also have a smashed macaron in here if anyone’s hungry.
DARA: What flavor?
PERRY: Vanilla.
DARA: Would you do the ponytail?
PERRY: The small one? It’s so cute.
DARA: I need to do the pony.
PERRY: It’s so 1950s.
DARA: Beauty school drop-out.
PERRY: Yes.
OTTENBERG: Katy.
PERRY: I love you.
OTTENBERG: What are you doing tonight?
PERRY: I’m going to sleep. I just flew in from Australia. I came straight from Charles-De-Gaulle, look at me.
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Balenciaga SS25
KYLE MACLACHLAN
OTTENBERG: I just found Kyle MacLachlan backstage. Kyle, are you wearing full Balenciaga right now?
KYLE MACLACHLAN: Look at me. This is probably the most comfortable I’ve ever been at a show.
OTTENBERG: Did you ever wear low-slung pants?
MACLACHLAN: Well, you know, I go back a few years. So there was a time in the ‘70s, and what I saw tonight was reminiscent.
OTTENBERG: Fantastic.
MACLACHLAN: You have to have a really flat stomach.
OTTENBERG: Yeah. Let the kids do it now.
MACLACHLAN: Exactly.
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Balenciaga SS25
YSEULT
OTTENBERG: Yseult, who are you texting?
YSEULT: Myself, of course. [Shows selfie camera]
OTTENBERG: What look are you wearing for our photoshoot from this show?
YSEULT: The first look. The white lingerie look reminds me of a Madonna revival a little bit. I really love the dramatic coats. Or the lingerie with the brown fur. I see myself twerking in it for a music video. Or I see myself for the cover of Interview, baby.
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BACH BUQUEN
OTTENBERG: Bach.
BACH BUQUEN: Hey.
OTTENBERG: Which outfit would you dance in from the show?
BUQUEN: The last one was incredible.
OTTENBERG: You can do the dance in that?
BUQUEN: Yeah, maybe…
OTTENBERG: I think you should wear some really low-slung jeans. Push the undies down just a little bit, respectfully. Wait, c’est parfait. I keep forgetting to ask you to dance. Will you do the dance?
BUQUEN: Yeah. [Dances]
OTTENBERG: Yes! See you, Bach.
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PALOMA ELSESSER
OTTENBERG: Hi.
PALOMA ELSESSER: Hey, bitch.
OTTENBERG: I just love Britney Spears.
ELSESSER: I mean, I didn’t wanna be a pick-me and weird, but I was singing. Like, you know when sometimes you wanna be cool and serious? Well, I was like…
OTTENBERG: Yeah, I realized the song had been on for seven minutes and I’d been dancing for seven minutes.
ELSESSER: Correct.
OTTENBERG: And then I had this fantasy that she was gonna come out on the table and dance for us, and that’s asking too much because it’s not the right moment. But a boy can dream.
ELSESSER: Yeah, because there’s a level of objectification.
OTTENBERG: Yeah. And meanwhile, you’re crazy too. You’re wearing pants as a top.
ELSESSER: I’m wearing a pants-top. And the boots, I could’ve hid my stylist in the boots. I should’ve snuck her in.
OTTENBERG: [Laughs] Can I see the back? Can I see where the jeans are going?
ELSESSER: Oh, yeah.
OTTENBERG: Sweetie, yes. She’s styled.
ELSESSER: She’s styled. You know what’s important? Of course it’s really cunt to give Balenciaga trench, but you know what? They always do. We’re giving like, Look 17. We’re giving Look 29. I’m giving look, bitch. And that’s what the girls deserve.
OTTENBERG: You heard it here.
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KIM PETRAS
OTTENBERG: Hi, Kim. You got the pony.
KIM PETRAS: I got the pony.
OTTENBERG: Do you wear low-slung jeans? Because you should.
PETRAS: Yeah. Those were like, so amazing. I need to wear them.
OTTENBERG: Favorite Britney album?
PETRAS: Blackout.
OTTENBERG: What are the singles on that?
PETRAS: “Gimme More,” “Break the Ice,” “Piece of Me.”
OTTENBERG: Phenomenal.
KATY PERRY: Kim, you’re looking gorgeous.
OTTENBERG: You are looking gorgeous. What do you want to wear from the show?
PETRAS: That pink set. There was a pink pant boot with a pink bandeau.
OTTENBERG: A snap-on pink bandeau with no back.
PETRAS: I know, it was backless. I need to wear it. But also, the low-rise jeans. It’s time.
OTTENBERG: With your low-rise jeans, it’s about a really frilly little panty.
PETRAS: I need a frilly panty.
OTTENBERG: I like that for you. I love styling you. What are you doing tonight?
PETRAS: Um, there’s some things.
OTTENBERG: So she’s doing it.
PETRAS: Yeah. Are you doing it?
OTTENBERG: No. But you look beautiful.
PETRAS: So do you, babes.
