Bally RTW Spring 2023

Ecdysis is not a word that many may be familiar with, but it is one that the creative director Rhuigi Villaseñor chose as the name of his first collection for Bally. Why? Because, according to the Britannica, ecdysis is “the process of losing an external skeleton for the purpose of growing or changing shape” – essentially metamorphosis.

Admittedly, before the Milan show, the designer said he was eager to leave his mark on the historical brand, to start the “Rhuigi era of Bally”, to develop the Swiss label with new categories and to develop it according to its own sensibilities and aesthetics.

And so he, to some extent, presented a sultry woman who likes to show some skin but is also comfortable donning a utilitarian denim shirt over a high slit full-length skirt hand-embroidered with rows of resin baguette beads. Villaseñor's American perspective is contributing to Bally's reset and there were strong echoes of Ralph Lauren and Tom Ford in the perfectly tailored but easy men's linen suits or the knit dress with strategically placed cutouts, respectively. . Given Bally's expertise in accessories, he essentially has a clean slate to work with in ready-to-wear. So it will be interesting to see how he defines and differentiates the brand in the future.

Here were a few pieces that will appeal to Bally's luxury shopper, such as the print suit velvet tiger, or the shantung pajama set in bright yellow. The colors have indeed been spun in unexpected combinations, as in the va-va-voom bright pink suede jacket or the satin dress paired with boots of the same color.

Python boots and archival Mary Jane pumps with Cuban heels were some of the most popular accessories. standouts, as well as cool hobo bags adorned with the new material logo – a stylized interlocking “B” – and oversized suede totes. For men who dare, Villaseñor offered slippers with a golden mesh on the upper.