Today marks the end of an era. After ten years heading up Balenciaga, Demna just hosted his final show for the house: its 54th Couture collection, which ended with a standing ovation.
Since stepping into Alexander Wang’s shoes in 2015, Demna has transformed Balenciaga into what it is today, bringing to mind a montage of crisp packets; broad shoulder pads; cinched waists; creased bin bags; lace leggings; weighty jewellery; baggy hoodies; rigid tailoring; Erewhon coffee cups; stuffed Le City bags; monster sneakers; and sharp stilettos.
Today in Paris, Balenciaga’s 54th Couture collection was appropriately “Demna” coded. In his show notes, the designer wrote that this was “the perfect way to finish [his] decade at Balenciaga,” adding, “I have come as close as possible to being satisfied in this endless pursuit of impossible perfection — the defining ethos of Cristóbal Balenciaga.”
Tailoring sharp enough to cut
Demna’s opening look set the tone for his collection: a severe blank canvas in the form of a tunic, skirt, and gloves with sharp, sculptural features and a stark colour palette. This was followed by more of Demna’s iconic tailoring for women, inspired by the dress codes of “La Bourgeoisie” and featuring self-described “Nosferatu-esque necklines.”
Personalised as an ode to his community
In a pretty moving tribute to the people that have brought Demna’s vision of Balenciaga to life, the soundtrack to the show was a recording of all of the different individuals from Demna’s teams reading their own names in their own voices, which felt incredibly personal. Similarly, there were small details on Demna’s Couture bags this season, where logos were replaced with the names of the wearer.
Old Hollywood, the Demna way
Kim Kardashian walked in a look made up of a lace-trimmed slip beneath a “mink” coat made of embroidered feathers, that was an ode to actress Elizabeth Taylor. Playing on the Old Hollywood glamour that Demna has often referenced in his time at Balenciaga, Kim even wore Taylor’s own diamond pendant earrings from Lorraine Schwartz’s private collection.
Alongside Elizabeth Taylor, Demna also referenced a number of the other “greats” from the Old Hollywood era, including Marilyn Monroe, who was embodied in black sequined “Diva” gown. Another standout look from this time period was a baby pink gown crafted from the lightest technical technical organza in the world.
Finding couture in the everyday
Demna’s appreciation for the understated was evident on his runway, where we saw the first ever Balenciaga Couture sneakers, a standard runner. As per, if Demna says it’s Couture, that’s because it is: these shoes specifically were handcrafted using traditional shoemaking techniques.
The briefcase was also given a Couture update, appearing in bright gold and given a new purpose, reimagined as a “jewelry box laptop case”. Likewise, a simple pair of corduroy pants aren’t what they seem at first glance. On closer inspection, they’re revealed to be a trompe-l’œil in 300 km of tufted embroidery, described by Demna as, “the first “corduroy” pants I want to wear.”
An insight into Cristóbel’s mind
The argument that Demna’s era lost sight of Cristóbal’s Balenciaga falls flat when you really pay attention to the amount he referenced the house’s roots. While his collections are unequivocally modern, they’re also characterised by nuanced archive references that are often so subtle you have to know what they’re referencing to notice them.
For example, this season Demna referenced Cristóbel’s original designs via his debut of the Danielle suit, a recreation of a houndstooth ensemble originally worn by Danielle Slavik, who worked alongside M. Balenciaga between 1964 until 1968. Acting as a house model and almost muse to the designer, Slavikt embodied the attitudes of his designs, and so does the Danielle suit.
Whether you’re Demna’s biggest fan or one of his loudest haters, there’s no denying that his stepping down at Balenciaga - heading to Gucci in the Fall, a drastic change of scenery - marks a very new era, not only for both houses, but for fashion as a whole.
Featured image via Balenciaga©
More on Culted
See: Glenn Martens is about to make a bold start at Margiela
