Heritage Label Bally Puts A Fresh Spin On Wardrobe Foundations

How to build a fashion house with impressive staying power? Take a leaf out of Bally’s playbook. Founded by Carl Franz Bally and his brother Fritz, the Swiss brand has over time evolved from family-run cordwainer to a global luxury giant, and fixture on the Fashion Week schedule, navigating its way through trends with ease but never falling victim to them. This season especially, under the creative direction of Simone Bellotti, the brand shows itself to be in tune with everything that fashion lovers most desire – all while maintaining its commitment to the highest level of craft and a respect for its rich heritage.

The ‘Ballyrina’ shoe is the perfect testament to Bally’s considered evolution. In anticipation of the street-style crowd’s latest obsession with the ballet flat, Bellotti delivers a new-age riff on the style that is instantly covetable. Designs veer from a more traditional Mary Jane style in solid hues to quirkier versions with unexpected embellishments and double straps. In one case, a smattering of studs and a safety-pin detail infuse the ballet flat with a punkish edge that goes against its dainty connotations.

This season also brings with it the introduction of the ‘Plume’, an elegant moccasin in the finest buffalo leather or a supple suede, which encapsulates the brand’s fusion of modernity and tradition. Vying for the sandal’s spot as the shoe of the summer, Bally’s spin bears all elements of the blueprint and nods to archival styles. Most notably, the house’s many decades of haute-level shoemaking are brought to the fore here. Crafted in Caslano, Switzerland, the ‘Plume’ makes use of the Goodyear reverse construction technique – where the upper is stitched onto the sole inside-out and then reversed – resulting in a shoe that’s as wearable as it is handsome (and perfect for summer-evening strolls). Additionally, a lambskin lining and leather laces reaffirm Bally’s obsession with delivering luxury down to the finest details

Leatherwork is Bally’s forte, and that passion for the craft follows through to its clothes, too. This season, the brand makes the case for the black leather mini skirt as an unexpected summer essential, cutting it on a chic A-line, and serves up a striking poppy-red jacket that will instantly liven up anything that you layer underneath it. These punchier notes are then balanced out by the most elevated versions of those foundational, off-duty wardrobe basics, complete with a preppy twist. Think roomy collared shirts in white and striped blue denim jackets and embroidered cotton piqué polos.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Bally collection without an exquisitely constructed handbag. In this department, the Swiss label tends to favor subdued silhouettes and refined accents that allow the skills of its makers to shine. The ‘Belle’ tote follows in that tradition – an unembellished curved ‘bowling bag’ that is the embodiment of quiet luxury. And much like Bally itself, it’s the sort of timeless, thoughtfully designed staple that looks to only get better with age.