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Rhuigi Villaseñor designs his first collection for Bally, and its scintillating

Revolving around the house pillars of leather craftsmanship and timeless accessories, Villaseñor brings a cosmopolitan exploration of European luxury through a distinctly American lens.

October 11, 2022: Enhancing the Swiss leather craftsmanship of Bally’s 171-year heritage, the Spring/Summer 2023 ready-to-wear and accessories collections for women and men has an innate sense of sophistication and audaciousness in equal parts.

Bally Spring Summer 2023

Reflecting on the ease of sportswear and its universal language — from Santa Monica to Sankt Moritz — Mr. Villaseñor approaches Bally’s DNA as a leather goods atelier with a light hand, ushering in a new sensuality and glamour for the house.

Bally Spring Summer 2023 

Bold and unapologetic, historical nods to the worlds of sports and cinema abound throughout a collection that walks on the wild side, marrying an elevated, youthful wardrobe with elements of ironic nostalgia. Daywear and eveningwear collide in a closet that exudes the confidence of the well-travelled.

Bally Spring Summer 2023

“In fashion as in our daily lives, beauty is always linked to a sense of place and identity: Ideas and gestures we can understand and connect with on a personal level. When I discovered the Bally universe, it was clear to me that my energy and my point of view would be the catalyst for a renaissance two decades since the last Bally runway show. Placing Swiss craft and European art of living in harmony with my own American story, I’ve called this collection ECDYSIS — a reset and a celebration of radical luxury,” said Rhuigi Villaseñor, Creative Director.

Bally Spring Summer 2023

The season draws upon a pantheon of materiality: tiger print suiting in silk velvet, double-breasted tailoring in summer wools, and shantung silk pyjamas celebrate a soignée femininity in dialogue with a relaxed masculine attitude. 

Bally Spring Summer 2023

Crafted in Mr. Villaseñor’s hometown of Los Angeles, engineered denim meets various expressions of Bally’s leather craftsmanship, from butter-soft suede to polished calfskin, stretch nappa, and opulent metallics. Heirloom wardrobe pieces emerge in unexpected colours and combinations, from classic aviator jackets to louche tailored suits, trench coats, and safari-inspired separates.

Bally Spring Summer 2023

Black dresses with slashes and gaps are in trend, as also evidenced in the Versace Spring Summer 2023 collection. Bally’s sophisticated mountain vibe is complemented with a femme fatale demeanor for womenswear. Menswear is chic, handsome.

Bally Spring Summer 2023

Chains and chokers, buckles and bag hardware enhance the ‘devil may care’ attitude of this collection. Conceived by Mr. Villaseñor, a new stylised figure-8 device of interlocking B’s inspired by the Bally tradition of elastic-making becomes a striking emblem scaled up and down as a decorative flourish throughout, joining melted baroque hardware and geometric chains that embellish frame bags, soft pouches, hobos and tongue-in-cheek ‘take-away’ hardcase maroquinerie.

Bally Spring Summer 2023

The Bally footwear collection sees various styles, from sculpted sandal heels and crystal mesh boots to embellished house slippers and archival Mary-Janes with a Cuban heel; Mr. Villaseñor injects a palpable new energy through Western details and worldly references. 

Bally Spring Summer 2023

The result, of the entire collection, is a melting pot of radical luxury: a recent conversation between the old and new worlds.

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