BAL Spring/Summer '20
Every year, Japanese label BAL seems to outdo themselves, refining motifs from past seasons and running with themes ten-fold as energetic as anything tried in the past. Spring/Summer ‘20, whose range curates a wealth of standouts to choose from, is as colorful a collage of style as it is a diverse make-up of wild prints, pattern heavy patchwork, and artist collaborations.
At a glance, no single offering lies at the helm alone, rather, the collection’s sheer diversity steers the course collectively. A blend of the colorful as well as the deconstructive, many a garment seems to structurally adhere to one sound template while simultaneously composing of typically incongruous materials or loud, conflicting graphics. For instance, the barn coat at the lead employs an architecture inspired by much more than its workwear frame, using panels of grid camo to construct the inner sides or more traditional woodland variations to split the sleeve. Much more then finds place in this whimsical display of the abstract, with its undeniable pièce de résistance being the mural of cracked paint and distressed wallpaper that rests along the entire back -- a loud set of artwork that carries over unto oversized scarves, ecru truckers, and grey denim jackets. This design language then weaves its way into almost every adjacent facet of the product breadth, though they individually vary in aggression by small margins. Sweatshirts and camp collar shirting are arguably the most simple, respectively executing with blocks of contrast strewn about and with mosaics of all-over artistry; blazer sets dye to a Spring-ready palette and outfit with more technical appropriations; and then utility arrives by way of replicative militaria or twists on the trending chest rig.
Grab a full glimpse at all that as well as a wealth more at the gallery just below.
