“WHERE PARTYING MEETS COUTURE, BLENDING HIGH ENERGY CHAOS WITH A STATEMENT”.
‘PROJECT B.’
A COLLECTION OF CHAOTIC COUTURE
Project B is a collection that fuses the wild, electric chaos of the movie Project X with the sculptural elegance of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s 1950s couture. It reimagines the unruly, carefree aesthetic of American teenage party culture- oversized silhouettes, graphic textures, and an effortless “thrown-on” attitude through Balenciaga’s architectural eye. The result is a playful collision of rebellion and refinement: couture volumes, precise structure, and luxurious craftsmanship infused with the unpredictable energy of youth. Project B becomes a celebration of controlled chaos, where the polished discipline of Balenciaga meets the reckless spirit of a night that spirals out of control.
THE PROJECT B
LINE-UP
'PROJECT B’
A BALENCIAGA COLLECTION
“SCULPTED AND FITTED”
THE MAKING OF PROJECT B.
THE NFL DRESS
The NFL dress reinterprets the classic male NFL jersey through a Balenciaga lens. It fuses key jersey elements such as the V-neckline and logo—with dramatically blown-out, oversized sleeves, transforming sportswear codes through Balenciaga’s signature couture-scale proportions and sculptural aesthetic.
PLAYING WITH THE FOOTBALL JERSEY
I became fascinated with American male teen party wear, specifically what appears at house parties, illustrated graphic tees, oversized NFL jerseys, cheap denim, sweat-soaked layers, and garments worn without care or consciousness. These pieces exist in a space of chaos, excess, and performance, where identity is loud but unrefined.
I began to question: How could this visual language be elevated into a messy party couture?
By merging the unruly energy of a teenage boys’ house party with the raw, confrontational edge of Balenciaga couture, I recontextualised these garments as objects of intentional distortion. The chaos becomes constructed. Spilled drinks, stretched necklines, and aggressive layering are no longer accidental but engineered, translating adolescent excess into high-fashion rebellion.
THEN THE SKETCHING BEGAN.
BEHIND THE NFL DRESS
DETAILS BEFORE THE DETAILS
This look imagines the NFL jersey in its most primitive form, before numbers, names, and graphic details were introduced. By stripping the garment back, the sleeves become the central runway statement, standing alone as the core aesthetic of the piece. The intention was to let the beauty and power of the sleeves speak for themselves, drawing inspiration from the under-armour layers worn by NFL players during a match, the exaggerated arms, the bulk, the physical presence. The result transforms the familiar into high-end runway, elevating the kind of oversized jersey silhouettes a teenage boy might wear to a house party into a sculptural couture statement.
I then began to push the piece further into a runway context by adding sheer black gloves attached to the dress, giving a nod to a classic 1950s aesthetic while keeping it modern. I introduced a grey, high-shine organza and hand-sewed it to form an off-the-shoulder wrap, as seen in the photograph. The wrap extends into a subtle trail that curves around to the back of the garment, adding a sense of elegance to a jersey base that is often perceived as feminine, while playing with the tension and battle between masculine and feminine codes.
LE MANTEAU
BEHIND ‘LE MANTEAU’
Le Manteau Dress — meaning “the coat” — began its life as a two-piece concept rooted in the idea of a raincoat. The original look as you can see in the sketch below was reimagined outerwear as something worn, deconstructed, and redefined. At its core was a built-in Harvard hoodie corset, a playful nod to the hoodies men throw on for parties without thought. I wanted to question that casual masculinity and reconstruct the hoodie’s original purpose: instead of the hood area sitting over the head, it was pulled down and reshaped to sit at the waist, transforming familiarity into form and intention.
The design was later revamped for an emerging music artist’s music video, evolving into a mermaid-tale silhouette. The final look is sleek and sculptural, balancing puffed structure with sharp, fitted areas. A fitted skirt extends the body into an elongated form, creating movement and drama, while maintaining a polished, cinematic finish.
Embedded within the garment is a distinct Balenciaga identity, built directly into the construction of the sleeves. This is paired with 1950s couture finishings, including attached leather gloves, grounding the piece in historical elegance while pushing it firmly into a contemporary, fashion-forward narrative.
THE ORIGINAL ‘LE MANTEAU’ SKETCH
THE ‘LE MANTEAU’ ILLUSTRATED BY EMERGING FASHION ILLUSTRATOR
DOMENICO BALDUCCI
‘LE MANTEAU’ PRESS
LE MANTEAU was featured in the Walk On Charity Fashion Show in Durham, where the piece took to the runway in support of a meaningful cause. The look was later captured by The Biggest Court magazine, who photographed the garment, spotlighting its presence beyond the runway and cementing its moment within both charity fashion and editorial imagery.
