Demna's Balenciaga
Demna Gvasalia revolutionized the landscape of fashion design by succeeding Alexander Wang as the creative director of Balenciaga in 2015. He has successfully shattered our preconceived notions about fame, luxury, popular culture, and artificial reality.
Stella and Alex photographed by Sam Sussman for Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2024 via Vogue
Gvasalia, a populist who challenges fashion and the industry's norms, has systematically deconstructed the artificial divide between everyday style and high-end luxury of what it means to "look poor" by dressing rich, or as some will call it, "new money" or the illusion of wealth. Through his various endeavors, he has skillfully dismantled this barrier, showcasing daring and bizarre designs and, to some critics, "out of touch." Whether it be his unconventional platform-sole Crocs, Ikea bags, or trash bags posed as everyday sacks, Gvasalia manages to provoke a reaction from the general public while simultaneously exposing the trite conventions of fashion elitism and exclusive excess. The Pre-Fall 2024 show on December 2 marked a significant turning point for Gvasalia and the brand, following a disastrous media campaign involving children and explicit dolls over a year ago. This time, the show took a satirical approach toward the celebrity culture of Los Angeles, with a diverse guest list including reality TV housewives, Oscar-winning actresses (nodding to their newest brand ambassador, Nicole Kidman), rappers, and social media influencers - a common sight in today's fashion industry. It's not often that a show manages to evoke anger, confusion, and disgust. Yet, this one took the grand prize as many Instagram commenters made their opinions known in the comment sections of many fashion media outlets. From the collaboration with upscale supermarket Erewhon to the exaggeratedly large 3XL sneakers, oversized Moon-like boots, and the unexpected appearances of Cardi B and '80s model Brigitte Nielsen on the runway, the gimmicks of previous Balenciaga shows seemed like mere understatements. The outdoor spectacle felt too blatant, filled with the excess trite that fashion has come to, as many of the looks were repetitive and exaggerated, as if Gvasalia was mocking himself in a parody-like fashion, pun intended. As an artist, this was Gvasalia's attempt to remix and rehash previous creations, almost reintroducing his take on the luxury house all over again post-Spring 2020.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JUERGEN TELLER
Gvasalia has risen through the fashion industry ranks in the past decade, initially as a provocateur and now as his generation's revered artist and innovator. He has become the most dynamic and enthusiastic working designer in the industry today. Born in Georgia, he introduced streetwear into the world of luxury fashion through an Eastern European lens—initially leading Vetements. Rather than revolutionizing luxury fashion, he has transformed our everyday attire into objects of admiration and disposable waste, establishing a universal sense of style of what consumerist fashion has turned itself into. He has positioned Balenciaga as a symbol of rebellion and resistance, solidifying its status as the trendiest and most inclusive brand worldwide. Is the mirror Gvasalia puts up to society part of his point? Is his mission to mock the mass deception of Western society's forms of entertainment and use it to innovate fashion design through "hype culture?" More people are acquainted with Balenciaga than ever through Gvasalia's innovative concepts, which are both illustrious and purposely vile. Intriguingly, this fashion style has become a staple in the industry because its overconsumption drives the brand into a forceful power and Gvasalia into a fashion pioneer. He remains true to his narrative and the brand's identity, sticking to the style codes and motifs of the original designs of Cristóbal Balenciaga. The shallowness and honesty of his gimmicky runway shows are commentary to precisely what the industry feeds into as Pre-Fall 2024 felt dystopian and humorous. Demna's Balenciaga is no longer just a brand but is outweighed by its personality, reducing it to a caricature or running media joke. The commentary isn't just about the clothing and designs themselves, as many patrons could care less about how the clothes look, but about everything in its celebrity exuberance and hysteria surrounding the brand, which drives the conversation. The media's outrage, the press, the drama, this is Demna Gvasalia and his artistry to be mocked and praised simultaneously. The collaboration with Erewhon serves as a contemplation of the strategies employed by luxury brands to navigate and influence consumer culture. It blurs the boundaries between ordinary existence and opulence, potentially prompting consumers to ponder the significance of buying for "luxury" or practicality. The future of fashion, or, in this case, Gvasalia's future at Balenciaga, remains unclear. Still, one leaves wondering why the criticism draws much concern to how we view clothes as accessories or art. Demna Gvasalia points the viewer in the direction of choice, and he is unbiased to whatever society is trying to say about culture; he is just here to illustrate it.
