PARIS, FRANCE — A collaboration between Balenciaga and Bang & Olufsen was unveiled at Balenciaga’s 51st Couture show in Paris. The music, an integral element of each and every Balenciaga show, was delivered to the audience through the Balenciaga and Bang & Olufsen Speaker Bag, carried by models along the catwalk.
The Balenciaga and Bang & Olufsen Speaker Bag is the creative brainchild of Balenciaga and Bang & Olufsen’s partnership. Crafted to resemble the sculptural form of Balenciaga’s handbags, the speaker bag is a fully functional bag and portable speaker; a true hybrid that pushes the perceptual boundaries of design and combines the worlds of fashion and technology in newfound ways.
“This collaboration really demonstrates our capabilities for making bespoke solutions for our customers. We can make endless configurations within sound and design, and we are excited to show our customers more of that in future collaborations, projects, and products” says Bang & Olufsen’s CEO Kristian Teär. “Working with Balenciaga has been an incredible experience and will also shape how we drive products and experiences that will disrupt the technology market in the future”.
“This bag is a testament to what happens when two very special companies with an unparalleled heritage of craftsmanship join forces. Both design teams are dedicated to excellence, and I think we together created something unique,” says Miklu Silvanto, Bang & Olufsen’s chief design officer. “Couture is custom, exclusive, culture creating and art of making by extremely skilled craftsmen. From our aluminum factory to Balenciaga’s atelier to an entirely remarkable product. You have to see, hear and feel it and we are so excited to show it today”.
Each piece in this limited-edition run is milled from a block of solid aluminum, before being pearl-blasted, anodized, and hand-polished at Bang & Olufsen’s Factory 5 in Struer, Denmark, over a period of several days for the perfect satin finish. Working with one solid block of raw aluminum allows for a continuous flow all the way from handle to base; the seamless attention to detail expected of two brands with such a rich heritage of design.
The front of the Balenciaga and Bang & Olufsen Speaker Bag features Bang & Olufsen’s signature portable speaker styling; a perfect pattern of speaker holes meticulously placed to ensure the best sound quality without compromising on a sleek aesthetic. Behind the striking aluminum body lies a powerful portable speaker, offering up to 18 hours of battery life and multipoint connectivity. Although the speaker bag is a bespoke creation with an avant-garde, boundary-pushing design, the fundamentals of sound quality and customer experience is considered at every point.
At the speaker bag’s rear, a door opens to reveal a sizeable compartment wrapped in Balenciaga’s Italian lambskin leather, assembled by hand.
Finished with a set of controls placed under the handle, Balenciaga and Bang & Olufsen’s logos are laser-etched into the top of each piece.
After a dramatic debut at Balenciaga’s Couture show in Paris, only 20 editions of the speaker bag will be available to purchase at the newly opened Balenciaga Couture store in Paris.
More information available at www.balenciaga.com.
