Demna’s Bargain Hunt Distracts From an Ideas Overload
Review of Balenciaga Fall 2024 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
Are we in The Matrix or now in the Metaverse or just in the mind of the machine? Demna’s method of showing his collections, staged in ways that often distract from the reason why you’re in attendance, to view and analyse a collection of ideas from a creative mind, was today brought into an even sharper focus as thrift-store finds of logo t-shirts and crumpled tailoring were hidden among the light display depicting our content sharing, editing, and splicing obsession.
Demna, like Hedi Slimane over at Celine, is on a one-man mission to push a more democratic idea of luxury fashion whose roots lie in streetwear and youth culture over mysterious ateliers, and for all its critics it’s something which has worked since he arrived at the house. Under the creative director, Balenciaga has become almost unrecognisable from its founders time – although there is often a citing of Cristobal Balenciaga’s archive in his current work as a more thrifted, up-cycled, and deconstructed look has taken hold. It is playing into that elusive audience which C-suite executives covet more than anything, as Demna’s ability to get the next generation hooked on his 3XL sneakers, branded hoodies, and structured bags is building a loyal following who will hopefully be lifelong customers, eventually upgrading to the oversized tailoring and second-skin dresses. In relation to this, it can, and will be debated about whether a dress made from pieces of lingerie, dust bags, or wrapped in packing tape should have made the cut. You could also throw in the slogan-heavy tops, which it could be assumed were there to be ironic too. As they appear more like the gimmicky fashion ideas which were going to be avoided going forward. But it is more likely that the reason they were included was because, if it ain’t broke – when millions are at stake – don’t fix it.
There were many ideas presented here – not least the digital floor to ceiling walls of screens which kept rolling through trippy AI-generated images of landscapes in natural and urban settings, as well as the obligatory nod to social media’s dominance with an endless scroll of feeds and FYP images – which aligns with Demnas raison d’etre to curate a sort-of mood of mass hysteria around a collection, rather than tell a story which moves on the houses’ legacy.
One interesting aside, is that EBay is slowly becoming an unlikely discovery engine for designers (Molly Goddard’s show in London was also inspired by her EBay watchlist) as show guests were sent a random item from the shopping platform as their invitation. Which was apparently part of a painstaking process for the creative director, who took the time to decide on who was to get what in his jumble sale haul.
THE BUZZWORDS
A pile-on of ideas, digital distraction, thrifting for the 1%
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look # 68
What a way to upcycle! As new ways to wear the ‘Underwear as Outerwear’ trend are upended in this lingerie dress, which piles on dozens of bras to form an unlikely version of a gown.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
This is my manifestation of being in a happy state of mind about fashion, I had a difficult time and I had to get myself out of that (state) and fall back in love with fashion and what I do…and I feel that the creative part of this collection and presentation in terms of the set design is the most luxurious part of it. Luxury is scarcity and creativity is rare right now, and I wanted to do everything I could to put all my creative expression into this one collection.
Demna, creative director, Balenciaga
THE WRAP UP
Today, the modern Balenciaga aesthetic was mixed in with some interesting ideas around deconstructed ‘halter-coats’ and online finds, but the thrown together and crumpled looks took away from this.
It may be time for some kind of separation or filtering of brand ideas, in the way that Demna’s couture presentations truly represent the spirit of Cristobal Balenciaga could a new brand under the Balenciaga umbrella be the answer? As a way to keep the essence of these two creative trains of thought pure, we can only watch and wait to see in the years to come.
