Demna Receives Decoration Of Chevalier De L’ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres
French culture minister Rachida Dati has presented Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna, with the green ribbon and medallion of the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, a unique recognition that may be the first of such to be pinned on a deliberately weathered black T-shirt. The medal is a testament to Demna’s significant contributions to French arts, an honor Dati punctuated by repeatedly adjusting the medallion and the outfit of its recipient.
Demna’s distinct fashion sense was evident in his attire for the ceremony, with a T-shirt boasting open seams displaying his collection of tattoos, including a version of the iconic Eiffel Tower. The designer expressed his gratitude for the recognition with animated gestures, earning the exuberant applause of his design studio colleagues.
The accolades continued on the dais, where actress Isabelle Huppert joined Dati in recounting the laureate’s accomplishments. The audience included Demna’s family, selected journalists, his favorite fashion professor, and several executives from Kering, which manages Balenciaga. Among them were François-Henri Pinault, Francesca Bellettini, Cédric Charbit, Balenciaga’s CEO of many years, and Gianfranco Gianangeli, who will take over from Charbit at the beginning of January 2.
Demna, speaking French, expressed in his acceptance speech how Paris had profoundly influenced his vision and style, doing away with his previous reservations about his work’s perceived lack of understanding. As a Balenciaga ambassador since 2023, Huppert commended Demna’s qualities of disrupting traditional fashion norms and rules, attributing these to his Georgian background which, she insinuated, played a significant role in his world view.
Huppert further praised Demna for his unique ability to create stunning pieces from overlooked or even trifling objects, stating that he “transforms the forgotten, the neglected into something sublime.” He was also lauded for his willingness to take risks, challenge existing norms, and tackle global complexities through his work.
Prior to his rise in the fashion world, Demna completed his studies in international economics at Tbilisi State University. He then graduated with a master’s degree in fashion design from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2006. He honed his skills working for notable fashion houses like Walter van Beirendonck, Maison Margiela, and Louis Vuitton before founding Vetements in 2014 and taking the reins at Balenciaga the following year.
With Vetements, Demna sparked a revolution in luxury streetwear fashion, and further transformed Balenciaga with his unique style of alternative glamour infused with dystopian chic. The Order of Arts and Letters, created in 1957 to acknowledge the contributions of artists, writers, and others to French arts, has been bestowed upon renowned individuals like Iris Van Herpen, Giambattista Valli, and Simon Porte Jacquemus, among others.