The Balenciaga Mindset
written by alyssa rebecca soto
Demna Gvasalia is a modern innovator, he is...
A genius in the fashion world who has brought Balenciaga into a position that we have never seen before.
Source: Glam Observer
Born in 1981, merely five years before the Cristóbal Balenciaga’s iconic House of Balenciaga would reopen under the fresh creative direction of Nicolas Ghesquière. With a historic name associated with the voluminous balloon gown and eye-catching silhouettes, during the runway revival, the current creative director was merely growing up.
Demna went to study economics at Tbilisi University, and then in 2006, received a Master's degree in Fashion Design, in Antwerp. Alumni of the Royal Academy of Arts include not only Balenciaga’s visionary himself but also the legendary Maison Margiela, Margiela was exactly where Demna actively began working. Referring to it as almost a master’s programme, quoted from i-D he says, “Working there I discovered that beauty can be found in everything around us, mundane objects can be turned into creative concepts and become a completely new product.”
This pivotal experience, coupled with his work at Louis Vuitton and the strong personal venture of Vetements with his brother Guram, is what led his ideology to bring an absolute powerhouse to the modern fashion world.
In 2014, with Guram leading the business aspect, Demna was able to design “A dip into the world of Vetements,”. Only then would the echoes of unorthodox concepts begin. By using media that is publicly iconic and adding a crescendo of modernism is what truly placed this design collective in the minds of many buyers.
Source: Justin Reed
Hosting “NO SHOW” shows in off-seasons that included models of all ages that were street cast, emphasized from an early point that Demna’s mind sincerely performs in flair.
The Vetements 2017 “NO SHOW” is a highlight of social uniforms. Fabrics, patterns, and trends that are present everywhere you may look. Finding what that societal fashion median is, taking those pieces, and breaking them down to build them right back up again. The detailed reconstruction found in denim, slouchy suits, and puffer outerwear.
Source: Christina Binkley
To recoil back to the time of 2015 in which Demna and Balenciaga met. Setting the scene, Balenciaga was in a place in which the previous collection revolved around a constant 5-color palette and classical Cristóbal silhouettes that were modern and graceful. For Demna's debut in season 2016, he brought an alluring attitude, and this was the beginning of it all. The true question he asks is: what does this piece make you feel? Tapping into the thought process of Cristóbal himself in prioritizing the power of shape to make a woman feel a certain way.
The invitation fulfills the respectfulness and mentorship to the original Balenciaga intention, while reciting its applicability towards the collections of today.
This is where I begin to divulge to you my conspiracies of sorts about the Balenciaga Mindset. Demna has revolutionized luxury. And it was clear to see in Vetement that the anti-fashion fashion was coming.
Many brands create worlds of their own that display absolutely unreachable luxury, pieces you would only dream to see in a glass box but feel so far from tangible reach. Demna creates pieces that deliver a personable feeling. It takes what is just a name and transforms it into a notion.
As he delivers messages in his shows about climate change and politics, every viewer's personal experience with those topics bleeds into their perception.
Demna has created not only striking and provocative pieces under the house but has made a fresh worldview. It lies in the fact that he has the power to make anything and everything Balenciaga. It challenges you to think, well isn’t everything Balenciaga? As you walk into a store and see the shopping basket, it fashionably relays to their Mag Basket Tote. This theme duplicates across the collections from 2015 to present time.
Source: Ssense
This thought process turns items we are all so entirely familiar with, and it brings luxury to us —- not the other way around. Despite the opinion of others describing that the use of common items in Balenciaga's world is “redundant” by putting a higher price tag on things we already have. I feel Balenciaga gives the feeling of luxury through runway and reality parallels. Through the use of perfect irony, Demna mocks the normalities we’ve become overly accustomed to.
The perfect example of this claim can be found in the 2020 season Ready to Wear collection, which was not only a political reference to the election year, but also a highlight of the monotonous uniform of suits and pencil skirts in the professional world.
Source: Gorunway.com
People are so entirely trapped in the button-up and slack lifestyle that they don’t particularly crave to style, but merely to have clothing on.
This show, coupled with its use of prosthetics, taps our attention toward political cartoons. The exaggerated lip, cheek, and bobbleheads are signatures in the caricature art form and Demna knew just what elements to bring to serve as a subtle memory of an American classic.
Nothing is left uncalculated.
Demna creates classics. The uniform resembling trench coats, the briefcase bags, and suit blazers we’ve seen parading the Balenciaga runway would be overly nuanced and almost too formal without the addition of the latex brought to us in resort 2023.
Demna has especially brought Balenciaga to life through his precise irony and connective concepts. The house has been personified through his bold artistic choices that make unforgettable noise in the fashion world. So what will you think of next time you see the letter B?
