Balaclava: the unexpected seasonal trend
The après-ski related accessory and its evolution on the runways
G-Club
October 12th, 2021
October 12th, 2021
Post-pandemic fashion has a strange desire to hide and be noticed at the same time. The must-have accessory of winter 2021 confirms it fully, wearing the dopamine colors of the season: the balaclava, or ski mask, is usually associated with the world of mountains and après-ski, combines two important features in winter, as protection from the cold and safety in sports. In what really looks like the first winter lived outside after two years of pandemic, the wool hood moves from the sports universe to land on the catwalk as an ugly-chic cool accessory that attracts attention. Miu Miu, Marine Serre, Jacquemus, Annakiki, Marc Jacobs and Givenchy have proposed it in various looks, demonstrating that the desire for fashion is skyrocketing, but perhaps the urban environment is still perceived as full of risks, almost like the mountain in winter. The renewed fame of balaclava is the clear result of a post-pandemic psychology, which applies to a functional object the concept of fashion not to get rid of the protections of which it is said so much bored of going from face masks to full face coverage . The romantic, fun and cozy interpretation has fun with materials, colors and pop patterns giving a winter garment, a new life, all to be rewritten in the streets of the city going on covering the face. nss G-club accompanies you to discover the accessory that will intrigue everyone, protecting you from prying eyes, just as you have always dreamed.
Balaclava in the fashion world
Gucci FW18
Marni FW18
Dior FW18
Calvin Klein 2018
Preen by Thornthon Bregazzi FW18
Gucci FW18
Miu Miu Fall 21 RTW
Marc Jacobs FW21
Burberry FW21
Fashion East FW21
Moschino RTW Fall 21
Raf Simons Fall 21
Echkaus Latta Fall 21
Miu Miu Fall 21 RTW
Max Mara FW21
Burberry FW21
Annakiki RTW Fall 21
Miu Miu Fall 21 RTW
Balaclava has been in fashion since 2018, when in the FallWinter 2018 collections it is the protagonist of several looks. Gucci by Alessandro Michele interprets it in strong colors in his collection "cyborg" where it defies the limits of the imagination, Calvin Klein by Raf Simons puts into play a minimal but striking version that confirms the signature of the Belgian designer then also Dior, Alexander Wang, Maison Margiela, Marni, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi and many other brands interpret the hat on the runway 2018, including important knitwear presences and bright colors. After three years, with a worldwide pandemic in between, the ski mask resurfaces on the catwalks of the "new normal". Injected with color, the Balaclava returns to 2021 Fall Winter catwalks in a 2.0 version, with designs that extract the essence of the garment and interpret it in streetwear way, such as Raf Simons, Marine Serre, and Jacquemus, while Marc Jacobs transforms it into an accessory capable of recreating the imagery of the 1920s divas evening dresses. Miu Miu remains in the mountain context, suggesting an aesthetic immersed in the wild that comes into contact with reflections of Miuccia Prada on the post-pandemic world. The hand-made knitwear wave born during the lockdown has its own take on the trend: projects like @wearelecarine and @rathatfamily have a range of crazy colorful knitted balaclavas to choose between. Their creations are a mindful purchase for a funny winter accessory that keeps you warm, supporting a small own artisanal business at the same time.
The origins of the accessory
The worldwide recognized term Balaclava is a term with Slavic origins tied with history. It literally means "maritime zone" and indicates part of today’s city of Sevastopol, Crimea. The link that connects the new winter accessory to this area of the world is the war conflict that involved local and English forces in the late eighteenth century. The latter, not used to the freezing temperatures of the East, wore a knitted hood during the conflicts, then renamed Balaclava to tie it to the port where the Battle of Crimea took place. Today, all over the world, balaclava is used in technical sportswear, especially related to the world of skiing but also motorcycling. It is back in pop culture again thanks to Eastern Europe, when the Pussy Riot - a group of feminist activists known for their radical positions associated with a very punk look - began to wear a cap to cover the face during their demonstrations. Also in the film Spring Breakers by Sophia Coppola appears a special mention to the accessory, always in the context of female riots.
The must-have for the FW21 season
nss G-Club is attentive to trends, and given the uniqueness of the garment could not miss the opportunity to suggest the coolest ski masks for winter looks to stay warm with a twist.
