BALENSIAGA SS24 Cruiser Collection

Welcome to the FINAL FRONTIER of fashion, where luxury and sustainability collide in a spectacular display of trash couture. Balensiaga's SS24 Cruiser Collection is the pinnacle of haute garbage, a collection that transforms landfill-bound waste into high-priced treasures. However, beneath the glitter and glamour lies a more profound truth: the fashion industry's commitment to sustainability is nothing more than a facade, a greenwashed cover-up for its greed and excess. This exhibition brings together Petra Ptáčková and Julius Reichel, who use a little satire to explore the contradictions of high fashion and its impact on present society, which use it to buy identity and conscience at considerable cost.

This year, the SS24 Balensiaga will introduce new faces and their capsule of the Eastern Block. Since the designers, Petra Ptáčková and Julius Reichel, decided unanimously that they no longer want to share white spaces outside of contexts to present their most luxurious showpieces, no matter how famous the address, a great deal of expense will be spent on creating the look of a refugee camp. So expect a flashy, spectacular program based on shared consumption for the good of all.

Petra Ptáčková's (*1987) fashion designs, known for their zero waste cuts, use of leftover materials, and transformable and modular clothing and hats, are a rebellion against the elitism and exclusivity of the high-fashion industry. Her pieces, made from repurposed materials, create a new luxury that values sustainability and social responsibility over status and wealth. With her designs, Ptáčková invites us to reconsider the meaning of fashion and its impact on the world around us.

Julius Reichel’s displayed art pieces can be considered a view of the absurdity of high-fashion trash. His works play with the idea of value and worth, transforming discarded materials into art pieces that are both ancient and contemporary. His cut-up sweaters and jeans woven into a handmade warp of branches are devoid of paint interventions, and they are an absolute example of recycling pushed to the extreme. A process that interests him as much as the one of disrespecting the boundaries of a hanging painting.

As we walk through the FINAL FRONTIER, it is essential to remember that fashion is the story of what is happening around us, speaking to us through the ordinary tale of everyday life.

We stand with Balensiaga because Balensiaga stands for the non-abuse of children, women's rights, women's freedom, against wars, racism and sexual discrimination, and last but not least, with all refugees!

This exhibition is a must-see for anyone interested in fashion, art, and social justice.