BALENCIAGA Balenciaga Downtown Shoulder Bag Downtown Series Written by X Vivi Edited by X RAN October 13, 2021 Balenciaga's Fall 21 collection introduces the new Downtown shoulder bag , which uses the iconic design elements of the Hourglass bag , such as the curved base and the letter B buckle . The bag body is made of soft calfskin , and the sharp corners are replaced by soft contours. The all-black color scheme is very imposing. Downtown & Hourglass Balenciaga's Fall 21 collecti

Balenciaga's Fall 21 collection introduces the new Downtown shoulder bag , which uses the iconic design elements of the Hourglass bag , such as the curved base and the letter B buckle . The bag body is made of soft calfskin , and the sharp corners are replaced by soft contours. The all-black color scheme is very imposing.

Downtown & Hourglass

Balenciaga's Fall 21 collection is based on the concept of "daily wardrobe" , aiming to create comfortable items suitable for outdoor travel for fashion lovers. The hourglass bag is transformed into a new Downtown shoulder bag . You can still see the basic elements such as the arched bottom and curved flap . The biggest difference is that the bag body is made of soft calfskin . The naturally loose silhouette reduces the solemn atmosphere and also has a bit of the charm of a vintage bag.

Balenciaga Fall 21 Collection

Hourglass

Downtown

The Hourglass bag is a bag launched by Balenciaga in the autumn and winter of 2019. Creative director Demna Gvasalia integrated the iconic Basque-Waist waist silhouette created by brand founder Cristóbal Balenciaga , extending it from fashion to accessories, and transforming the graceful figure of women into the body line of the bag. The architectural silhouette reminds people of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, making the bag romantic.

Left: Cristóbal Balenciaga fashion works in the 1950s
Right: Balenciaga 2021 Fall/Winter Haute Couture Collection

All Black Cool Black

Another major feature of this bag is the All-Black color scheme . The body of the bag is made of semi-matte calfskin , with black matte coated brass hardware, which is full of aura from inside to outside. The minimalist color scheme highlights the silhouette of the bag, like a contemporary sculpture.

Since Cristóbal Balenciaga founded the brand in 1917, black has always been the main color throughout Balenciaga's fashion works. The Spanish-French designer was inspired by the Spanish folklore works he came into contact with in his childhood and was also influenced by Eastern Zen thought . He found the essence of fashion in minimalism and black. He regarded black as "the color of style, restraint, modernity and sensuality" to highlight the structure of fashion and the texture of fabrics. In 2017, the Paris Sculpture Museum held a retrospective exhibition "Balenciaga: Black Fashion" (Balenciaga, L'oeuvre au noir) on the occasion of the brand's centenary, focusing on more than 100 Balenciaga high-end black fashion works.

Balenciaga, L'oeuvre au noir exhibition view

The current creative director Demna Gvasalia also prefers black. From the brand's first restart of the haute couture series in 53 years in the Fall/Winter 2021 collection, to the 2022 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection just released in October this year, All-Black styling still occupies a large part, and even the designer himself personally performed one of the looks - Search for yourself

Demna Gvasalia

Fashion Designer

Born 1981
Nationality Georgian
Graduated from Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
Creative director of Balenciaga (2015-present), co-founder of Vetements (2014-present)

Spring-Summer 2022 Ready-to-Wear Collection

2021 Fall/Winter Haute Couture Collection

Back to the bag itself, the bag body is made of flexible calfskin . Every detail from the stitching to the zipper head of the inner pocket is black. The side and bottom stitching are stitched inwards to make the bag silhouette fuller and softer. After opening the bag lid, you can see the complete "hourglass " shape.

The B Logo buckle is the most obvious brand logo on this bag. It is made of black matte coated brass . The minimalist cool black color gives people a modern and tough feeling. The hidden magnetic buckle can be easily opened by just pulling up the buckle.

· Removable shoulder strap·

The bag is equipped with a detachable wide shoulder strap , which is also made of calfskin. The thin and soft texture is comfortable to wear, and the length can be adjusted in a wide range, from single shoulder to crossbody.

You can also remove the shoulder strap completely or put it inside the bag, and follow the street photographers to create an oversized clutch . And we also found that the shoulder strap of this bag is actually a leather belt, which is completely suitable for use as a waist belt (tested on the body).

What can this bag hold?

Finally, let’s take a look at the practicality of this Downtown medium shoulder bag. The dimensions of the bag are 32×20.8×15.5cm . The color, size, and shape are all relatively neutral . The internal space is very spacious and can easily hold an iPad Air or heavier books. It can be used as a commuter bag.

We put an iPad, a photo album, a notebook, a card holder, keys, headphones, perfume, lipstick, glasses case and other items in the bag, and there is still at least one-third of space to spare. Boys and girls who like to carry large bags when going out can consider buying one. As the weather turns colder, the soft crossbody bag is not only comfortable to wear, but also looks very handsome and stylish when paired with windbreakers, suits and other items.