Rosalía Ushers in Her New Era in New Balenciaga

Rosalía’s entered a new musical era with the release of her critically-acclaimed album, Lux. And while the singer carved out a very distinct aesthetic during her promo tour, her latest red carpet look recalled her edgier Motomami era. All while revitalizing a controversial aughts trend, no less.

At the Los40 Music Awards in Valencia, Spain, Rosalía hit the red carpet in a monochrome look from Balenciaga’s new designer, Pierpaolo Piccoli. A midriff-baring crop top designed out of a fringed, textured fabric sat above billowing ball skirt that sat extremely low on her waist. Cinched with a Balenciaga logo belt, the maxi skirt recalled the daringly low-rise bottoms of the early 2000s—from low-slung cuts worn by celebrities like Paris Hilton and Kate Moss to Alexander McQueen’s infamous “bumster” silhouette that shocked the Paris runway.

Though it was Rosalía’s glasses (well, if you can really call them that) that left us remembering the Motomami days (if not some of Lux contributor Björk’s wildest looks). The bug-eye shield goggles were crowned in a shield of crystal that enveloped the musician’s forehead. Piccoli was looking back to past eras during his debut runway show, too, and included some accessories that honored the contributions of former creative directors to the house. The eye-popping glasses felt like a call back to his most recent predecessor, Demna.

Like most pop stars in a post-Madonna world, Rosalía has carved out distinct aesthetics for her various music eras. For her 2022 album Motomami, that entailed a maximalist look that mixed the hard with the soft. She wore moto-esque leathers, head-to-toe black dresses, and kitschy accessories—much like her Balenciaga goggles.

For Lux, the star is taking the rebellious spirit of Motomami and updating it with an ethereal, angelic spirit. To promote the project, she’s slipped into a voluminous skirt from Thom Browne and a look by Vivienne Westwood. Her “Berghain” video, the album’s lead single, was full of vintage grails from McQueen (both from his namesake label and time at Givenchy) and Nicolas Ghesquière–era Balenciaga

In Rosalía’s world, fashion isn’t stagnant—it’s constantly morphing.