I can pinpoint exactly when padded coats became a desirable item for the fashion crowd. It was March 2016 during Demna Gvasalia’s first Balenciaga collection. He had just become the creative director of the fashion house and was very specific about what our autumn/winter wardrobes would look like: structured hourglass blazers, bold patterns and padded coats. No longer reserved for the likes of ramblers and extreme sports enthusiasts, Gvasalia’s red puffer jacket worn off the shoulder over the top of a bejewelled bodysuit with black jeans and gemstone-encrusted heels proved this item’s sudden fabulousness. Across the high street and luxury fashion houses, designers scrambled to create a similar look—such was this garment’s influence.
