Benches Break At Balenciaga Show: Famous Front Row Forced To Stand (PHOTO)

Good thing Balenciaga's Spring 2012 collection was met with rave reviews - the guests of the French house's latest show were forced to give a standing ovation before the models even walked the runway.

When benches started breaking at the Paris Fashion Week show early Thursday, everyone lept to their feet. Among the fallen, according to Fashionista.com, were Elle's Kate Lanphear and The New York Times' Eric Wilson. After that everyone, including front row VIPs (from left to right) Hamish Bowles, Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Salma Hayek, husband Francois Henry Pinault, Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Hupert, wisely decided to stand.

Take a look at the TwitPic provided by WWD.

While the rest of us were only dreaming of Balenciaga, the twitter-verse was aflame with the breaking news (pun intended). Below are some of our favorites:

@AnnaDelloRusso: Amazing Balenciaga Show by Nicolas Ghesquiere! All standing like in a church! #pfw

@womensweardaily: Benches are breaking ahead of the Balenciaga show - workers shuttling in replacements. #pfw

@JakandJilBlog: The benches breaking at Balenciaga! It is a now standing show!!!! INSANE!

While the incident was certainly embarrassing, we have to say: you can't pay for this kind of publicity.

Here's what happened in non-bench news at the Balenciaga show:

All slideshow photos by Catwalking va Getty

Comments

[Kathleen1]

10:06 PM on 10/02/2011

Somewhere along the way designers got the idea that their primary job was to design something that looks different as opposed to looking attractive. It would also be nice if the clothes enhanced a womans appearance. I think they muted the models features because if the models looked pretty at all it would be in such sharp contrast to the ugly clothes they are wearing, they would lose all credibility.

[merger]

01:44 AM on 10/02/2011

BTW, Catherine Deneuve is still just beautiful.

[Georgette Martin Harris]

11:42 PM on 10/01/2011

Who in their right minds would even wear these outfits? I am of the opinion that these clothes are downright ugly. And the models look miserable and anorexic. I guess this is what designers design. But who wears it??

[lexigram]

07:58 PM on 10/03/2011

How much fun would it be to slip one of these hideous frocks into a Project Runway show, and watch Kors and Nina throw up all over themselves when they learn who they just dissed?

[sentimentiques]

10:04 PM on 10/01/2011

I wish more than anything that the models would smile or look happy~~they all look either hostile, in pain, bored or just wishing they weren't there. A nice demeanor would look more elegant. On the other hand, maybe they're justified looking that way based on what they're forced to wear!

[Nancy Burian]

06:26 PM on 10/01/2011

To tell you the truth, after seeing the fasions on the runway, I would so much rather see curvier models out there strutting their stuff rather than seeing those 'skeletons' out there. Women with curves, like: Jennifer Lopez, Fergie, etc. those figures are more pleasing to the eyes !
Show the curves, show the curves, show the curves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[maddenar]

10:10 AM on 10/01/2011

This designer must hate women.

[eastsideny]

01:52 AM on 10/01/2011

salma hayek is one big sexpot! i love her....and a fairy tale story (like princess grace swept away by the prince of monaco).

[lexigram]

08:00 PM on 10/03/2011

How about one where the princess lived happily ever after?

[eastsideny]

01:48 AM on 10/01/2011

balenciaga- shame on you.! your clothing used to be the most elegant!!! i think the models should have stood on the side lines. this this haute couture loving crowd looks just pitiful. i look better when i do the laundry,.

[deepintheheartoftejas]

08:14 PM on 09/30/2011

Forget a science section. HuffPo needs a FirstWorldProblems section to illustrate the hideous injustices that are daily inflected on our overprivileged populace.

[Max Shaw]

03:16 PM on 09/30/2011

God forbid the rich & heinous have to stand for a little bit...geez.

[lexigram]

07:55 PM on 10/03/2011

Yes-someone at HuffPo needs to look up the word "disaster". This really does not qualify. The clothes are pretty nasty, but a bench breaking-nope.

[Max Shaw]

11:51 AM on 10/04/2011

Yeah seriously. I'd say tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes....those all qualify, but not a friggin' bench breaking. BOO HOO!!

[sf girl]

03:01 PM on 09/30/2011

What happened to Salma Hayek's leg?

[First Blast]

02:54 PM on 09/30/2011

I would love to see snooty salespeople get the broken chair treatment next.

[aphextwin07]

01:39 PM on 09/30/2011

yawn

[Jeanette DeBella Bogue]

01:28 PM on 09/30/2011

Look! It's Kevin Bacon on the right!

[Max Shaw]

03:18 PM on 09/30/2011

Is he gearing up for a sequel to Wong Fu??

[Patrice77]

12:29 PM on 09/30/2011

I can't decide which outfit I find more hideous in the slideshow.