It's looking to be a big year for Bally. The Swiss luxury brand not only opened a new store at The Galleria in mid-February, it's also named a new creative director whose fresh spring/summer 2023 line is already filling the shelves.
They're Rhuigi Villaseñor's first designs in the role, and are described as a cosmopolitan exploration of European luxury through a distinctly American lens.
Swiss leather craftsmanship, the lynchpin of Bally’s 171-year heritage, is applied to ready-to-wear and accessories for women and men with an innate sense of sophistication and humor in equal parts.
“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," says Villaseñor. "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.”
Bold and unapologetic, the collection doles historical nods to the worlds of sports and cinema while walking on the wild side. Expect tiger print suiting in silk velvet, double-breasted tailoring in summer wools, and shantung silk pajamas that marry femininity with a relaxed masculine attitude.
The collection is crafted in Villaseñor’s hometown of Los Angeles, with engineered denim meeting leather craftsmanship in butter-soft suede, polished calfskin, stretch nappa, and opulent metallics. Heirloom wardrobe pieces emerge in unexpected colors and combinations, from classic aviator jackets to louche tailored suits, trench coats, and safari-inspired separates.
Nods to the Swiss traditions of watchmaking and toy-making appear as chains, chokers, buckles, and bag hardware. The Bally footwear collection expands and evolves this year too, from sculpted sandal heels and crystal mesh boots to embellished house slippers and archival Mary-Janes with a Cuban heel.
"I entrust Rhuigi, a talented visionary, to continue evolving the contemporary relevance of our brand and accelerate growth while preserving Bally’s core values," says Nicolas Girotto. "Having acutely followed Rhuigi’s ascent I am excited by how his natural creativity and energetic spirit have made him one of the industry’s greatest idea generators and community builders. Rhuigi’s deep understanding of Bally’s history coupled with a distinct appreciation of the Swiss lifestyle will be instrumental in ushering the brand into the future."
Born in Manila, Rhuigi Villaseñor has been the founder, CEO, and creative director of the brand Rhude since 2015. He started his career in Los Angeles, and credits his passion for design and his understanding of garment construction to growing up with a mother who was a tailor and father who was an architect. A Filipino and American national, raised in several continents before emigrating to the U.S. at the age of nine, Villaseñor has been recognized as one of today’s most promising fashion talents.
Established in 1851, Bally has a rich heritage in shoemaking and a longstanding relationship to architecture, arts, and the environment.
The new Bally store is located on the first floor of The Galleria, between Hublot and Stuart Weitzman and across from Prada and Aritzia.
