Demna Goes to Hollywood
Review of Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2024 Fashion Show
By Mark Wittmer
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
Hollywood glamor may be a theme that’s been explored in high fashion countless times before, but Balenciaga’s Fall 2024 show in Los Angeles was the most penetrating take on what the dream life of affluent celebrities and influencers looks like today – and it looks like sweat sets, sneakers, and $20 smoothies.
Toeing the line between homage and satire, Demna used supersized proportions and subtle deconstruction to bring a couture sensibility to the familiar staples of off-duty style you see on Instagram pages dedicated to it-girls about town. The brand’s already beefed-up take on dad sneakers, for example was further enlarged to hyperbolic size with the new 10XL model (which, in a new move for the brand, was made available to preorder right after the show), while boots reminiscent of UGGS lent that sense of cozy, can’t-be-bothered cool. Oversized outerwear and sweatpants dominated the collection until its final third, when the blocky tailoring and sculptural, body-forward dresses that are Demna’s forte emerged.
But perhaps most impactful was the recognition that the statement accessory that makes the biggest statement often isn’t a handbag, or even a fashion item – it’s the beverage or shopping bag you’re holding. Enter a collaboration with Erewhon, the buzzy L.A. grocery store where you’re almost bound to catch sight of a celebrity and whose prices make Whole Foods look like Goodwill ($4 for a single avocado, $22 for a probiotic smoothie). The biodegradable grocery bags clutched in models’ manicured hands were a distinct nod to consumer culture and the cult of “wellness.” It’s cleverly self-aware move, as Balenciaga plays a big role in shaping popular perceptions of status and wealth today, and the collection feeds right back into this consumer craze.
Another collaborative foray includes the brand’s first partnership with New York-based jewelry company Jacobs & Co. Marking Balenciaga’s first push into haute bijoux, the diamond jewelry brings a luxurious sparkle to many of the collection’s deceptively casual fits.
THE BUZZWORDS
Celebrity. Consumerism. Wellness. Status.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look #11
That’s hot – Paris Hilton’s penchant for pink tracksuits remains an iconic signifier of celebutante hedonism, and this look updates that American icon for the TikTok generation.
THE DIRECTION
The Hollywood-themed show wouldn’t be complete without a star-studded front row, featuring celebrities such as Salma Hayek, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kim Kardashian, and the new brand ambassador, Nicole Kidman. But the star power extended beyond the front row. Actress Brigitte Nielsen and singer Cardi B graced the runway with their presence. Demna carried the collection’s theme of oversized proportions to the guest list as well, making the red-carpet arrivals something of a Balenciaga fashion show of its own, and ramping up the already spectacle-driven nature of the event.
As with pretty much all of the Balenciaga collections since it narrowly dodged cancellation, however, the collection did play it safe, relying on theme and presentation rather than innovation and imagination in design to make its impact. Yet the strategy seems to be working for the brand, at least in terms of driving conversation and brand equity. Balenciaga is at the forefront of generating that “do people really buy this stuff?” incredulity among normal people, and this collection is another self-aware nod to that effect. Also, yes, people will buy it.
THE WRAP UP
While it may have consisted almost entirely of looks we’ve already seen before, Balenciaga’s first show in Los Angeles cleverly used that familiarity to hold a subtly distorted mirror up to contemporary sartorial expressions of desire, status, and power.
