Balenciaga Zooms Into Space With Sci-Fi Collection

Balenciaga's Nicolas Ghesquiere, who dusted off the storied Paris label and turned it into one of fashion's hottest properties, continued to push the envelope Thursday, churning out yet another breathtaking collection of elaborate skirt and pantsuits imbued with sci-fi flavor.

For his fall-winter 2010-11 ready-to-wear show, Ghesquiere served up short skirts in perforated leather with A-line vests in a patchwork of fur and vinyl, cropped skinny pants shot through with Lurex and jumpsuits with bodices that unzipped, oragami-like, to reveal tops printed with Pop Art posters in primary colors.

And then there were the shoes. The shoes! Astounding concoctions of leather, vinyl, and polystyrene with geometric stacked heels made out of blocks of what appeared to be cut and polished rocks.

The catwalk was lit from beneath, bathing the models in white light and making them look as if they were gliding through a spaceship.

Asked about the marketability of futuristic stewardess pieces, Neiman Marcus' fashion director Ken Downing said he was sure the collection would prove as hot as in seasons' past.

"It's really those over-the-top pieces that people are going to covet because they're looking for that distinctive Balenciaga piece to put into their wardrobe," Downing told The Associated Press in a post-show interview. "Season to season, Ghesquiere is moving the collection forward in a way that feels really of the moment, or even ahead of the moment."