SONIA DELAUNAY, RHYTHM, 1938.

Nicolas Ghesquière's mix-and-patch of futuristic rigidity and fluid Parisian ease for Balenciaga involves contradictingy plays on color and rhythm. It's a suit of artmor in pastel cubist layers as light and airy as a bonbon while knits appeared harshly molded, as if they were the canvas to Sonia Delaunay's Rhythm of 1938. Pale blue, tangerine and lime embroidery jutted and stretched across sweaters like printouts of a dated fax machine and transformed into painterly swirls when cinched at the waist. There was a lot to look at, from the cleverly constructed graphic newspaper printed tops (Dada, anyone?) that zipped directly into neoprene suits, to the quilted wings that accessorized a multitude of space age jackets. Multi-colored heeled brogues encased with Lego-like embellishments accessorized each look, which constituted the most overt, historical avant-garde reference.