After several scandals, Demna Gvasalia, the controversial artistic director of Balenciaga, has been keeping a low profile for several seasons. But that doesn’t stop him from letting his stage design and parade stands do the talking for him. Or rather about him, as evidenced by his latest show in the form of an autobiography, presented on Sunday 1 October 2023.
The autobiographical casting of Demna’s spring-summer 2024 Balenciaga show
It was the designer’s mother who opened the show in a dress made up of two Mackintosh jackets recycled and deconstructed to be joined together (a patchwork expedient present throughout the collection and which will be sold under the name Balenciaga Atelier). The stand also included former teachers of the Antwerp Academy who have left their mark on Demna, as well as fashion figures, such as the great critic Cathy Horyn and Diane Pernet, founder of the Antwerp festival. A nuanced vision of fashion. Other mainstream personalities have completed this autobiographical cast: the singer Yseult, the nightlife personality Amanda Lepore, the muse of Demna who is the artist Eliza Douglas, or even Kim Kardashian who ” questioned its ties to brands » in November 2022 following the double child pornography campaign. It was the designer’s husband, the techno-symphonic artist Loïk Gomez aka BFRND, who closed the show with a patchwork of wedding dresses.
Clothing-wise, it felt like almost the best of what Demna has been able to offer since arriving at Balenciaga, namely oversized dresses, pleated evening dresses, tapestry-style floral prints, and plenty of designer jackets. a sign that the motomami trend has not yet ended). As for wedge sneakers (the famous triple S), they are transformed into even more oversized, decidedly clownish sneakers. Ridiculousness is also what scored the show, as it was Isabelle Huppert shouting the instructions for making a jacket at high speed. Intense.
Finally, we note that Demna’s brother, Guram (who now manages the VTMNTS brand, from the house Vetements (yes, yes) that he co-founded with him), posted a photo of his mother on Instagram, with a caption that says their conflictual relationship was long:
“Proud to see my mother open the Balenciaga show. It’s very sad that I wasn’t invited to participate. I pray for my brother’s soul. May God bless him. »
A fashion drama which has been going on for several months, and which perhaps will soon be the subject of a future autobiographical show, who knows…
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
