In Paris today, Demna Gvasalia brought his decade-long journey with Balenciaga to an emotional close — powerfully, beautifully, and entirely on his own terms.
But it wasn’t just about the collection. It was about memory, respect, and staying true to one’s vision. The show coincided with the final day of the Balenciaga exhibition at Kering’s headquarters — a symbolic gesture that marked the end of this creative chapter. Is it truly the end? Only time will tell.
For the past ten years, Demna taught the fashion world to play with proportions much like Cristóbal Balenciaga once did, but in a distinctly 21st-century language. He brought post-Soviet aesthetics to the global stage and made them not only accepted but adored. His shows were never just about clothes — they were performances with dirty floors, artificial snowstorms, or surreal sets. He turned imperfection into a cult, sent out unforgettable invitations (the broken-screen iPhone 6S remains iconic), and made people fall in love with his bags, his strange shoes, his unlikely muses. Just days before the show, Demna shared a photo on social media of his rejected internship application to Balenciaga from 2007 — a quiet, moving reminder of how far he has come.
This time, Demna stripped it all back. There was no music, only a voice listing the names of Balenciaga’s team and friends — the people who have kept the house alive through these years. His name was the last to be spoken, just before the haunting chords of Sade’s No Ordinary Life filled the room.
On the runway: refined houndstooth coats, understated bow blouses, monolithic cocoon dresses — all evoking the legacy of Cristóbal Balenciaga. And yet, unmistakably Demna: sharp shoulders, sculptural collars, hyperbolic volumes, and of course, an ocean of black. The show closed with Eva Herzigova in satin olive yellow and Naomi Campbell in black sequins. The final punctuation: a voluminous white lace wedding gown, the ultimate farewell.
Was this really the last time we saw Demna for Balenciaga? Or is it just another turning point in his never-ending dialogue with fashion and meaning? His final show left us with more questions than answers — but one thing is certain: a new chapter in fashion history has been written.
