Bally’s showroom on Via Piave used to be a movie theater. When that closed, it was the site of several Tom Ford-era Gucci shows, before undergoing a massive renovation to become a serene, spacious temple to the Swiss leather goods brand. But the cinematic verve will be back to Bally soon; newly appointed creative director Rhuigi Villaseñor will hold his first runway show for the brand in September and if anyone can evoke the space’s halcyon days, it’s him.
Until then, Bally is in a transitional phase. Fall 2022 is about the “core house codes” per the brand’s stewards. Stealth luxury is the name of the game at Bally, and this season garments are more understated and even more luxurious. A leather loden jacket is lined in ribbed cashmere, wool twill is dyed to evoke denim, and a gorgeous baby yak sweater in stony blue brings innovation and luxury together. Brushed Biella wool is cut into wafty trousers that feel more like jersey to the touch. (“It’s the hard water,” adds the press rep about Biella’s special recipes for wool production.) In menswear there is a cut shearling shirt that feels almost sinfully luxurious; for women, pony hair patterned thigh-high boots do the job.
Presented in the cathedral of cashmere, the clothes read as lovely if not a little austere. That’s where Villaseñor comes in; to bring the heat. Over email earlier this year, CEO Nicolas Girotto told me, “Ready-to-wear has been a growing category for us, accounting for nearly 10% of our sales, with strong potential in our leather outerwear and luxury sportswear.” Let’s see what Rhu has in store this September.
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