Balenciaga’s glow-in-the-dark capsule is made for at-home raves

Thanks to the pandemic, we’ve gone over a year without parties, raves, and most other large celebrations. If you’re looking to host a virtual event or a solo dance party, though, Balenciaga has pulled through with its new glow-in-the-dark capsule. Including quarantine-friendly styles like T-shirts, baseball caps, pool slides, and socks, the collection is sure to bring a little light to your COVID-safe celebrations.

Despite many social gatherings being canceled over the past year, glow-in-the-dark pieces have been trending. Everything from Crocs to Fendi bags has been dressed in luminous patterns, perhaps to keep the party spirit alive during quarantine. Now that vaccinations are rolling out, though, we’re hoping we can actually wear our glow-in-the-dark fits somewhere — all we need are glowing face masks to match.

Rave ready — Balenciaga subtly teased its luminous capsule earlier in March on its Instagram account, showing a model sporting glowing teeth as if they’d just been whitened. But since the label is known best for its clothing, and not its beauty products, consumers knew to expect some sort of glowing product from the brand.

The collection transforms from day to night. T-shirts, especially those dressed in white, almost look plain before their motifs are exposed to a light source. The light tops naturally glow under a UV light, though, while their smiley face designs appear in a neon green hue, making it look like the faces were drawn onto the tee.

Signature double-B Balenciaga logos appear on the tops as well, only glowing at night. The same detail, along with the smiley face design, has been added to the brand’s pool slides, baseball caps, and socks. All emit the same neon green associated with other glow-in-the-dark products.

The glow isn’t worth the dough — With the luminous designs hidden until activated by light, Balenciaga’s capsule seems a bit disappointing. While the label hasn’t announced pricing on its new collection, tees will most likely range from $550 to $750, and accessories like pool slides and baseball caps probably won’t cost much less. The glowing pieces are set to arrive on Balenciaga’s website by this week.

For those prices, we’d much rather splurge on a design visible both day and night. Fendi’s luxurious glow-in-the-dark purse, for example, ran for thousands of dollars — but boasted a funky pattern that served two looks depending on what lighting you were in.

If you’ve got the cash — or are debating how to divvy up your stimulus check — we recommend other, less expensive glow-in-the-dark staples. Balenciaga hypebeasts and smiley face enthusiasts can feel free to cop the capsule, though. Just make sure to charge up your apparel in the light before showing it off.