Haute Couture HI-FI
Our new collaboration with Balenciaga, the Speaker Bag, is an example of the ideals and values we share with the legendary fashion house. We believe that people should be able to tailor their sound system to match their exact sonic and aesthetic preferences, without ever compromising on sound quality.
Our unparalleled Bespoke program reveals how Bang & Olufsen are constantly trying to reimagine our products to meet the needs of our most exacting customers. In this case, a Speaker Bag that revolutionizes the concept of ‘portable music’ – as fitting on the catwalk (where it was unveiled during Balenciaga’s Couture show in Paris) as it is on the street, or in the home. Think of it as ‘Haute Couture hi-fi’.
For Balenciaga’s Georgian-born Artistic Director, Demna, there is a transformative power to Couture – with its ability to escape the noise of the everyday. His designs are radical in their own right, constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and rethinking received opinion. And that’s exactly where the Speaker Bag comes in.
The Speaker Bag
Crafted to resemble the iconic sculptural form of Balenciaga’s handbags, the Speaker Bag serves both as an eye-catching accessory and a powerful portable speaker; offering up to 18 hours of battery life and multipoint connectivity.
The Unique Craftsmanship
The production of the bag reflects the attention both brands pay to craft. Each piece is milled from a single 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 to create the perfect satin finish. A door at the rear of the speaker opens to reveal a storage compartment wrapped by hand in Balenciaga’s Italian lambskin leather.
‘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. For him, the term Haute Couture means ‘custom, exclusive, culture creating, art of making… By extremely skilled craftsmen’. This is a true collaboration – as Silvanto explains, ‘From our aluminum factory to Balenciaga’s atelier to an entirely remarkable product. You have to see, hear and feel it.’
