After a decade-long run, Demna is stepping down from Balenciaga, parent company Kering announced today.
The Georgian designer, known mononymously as Demna, was appointed creative director of the Spanish house in October 2015, shortly after Vetements (the label he founded with his brother) showed for the first time at Paris Fashion Week. In the last decade, Demna brought Balenciaga to the forefront of the industry by consistently pushing the boundaries of fashion’s playbook. Notable collections and projects include Balenciaga’s 30-minute dress; the Spring/Summer 2022 collection that marked the brand’s post-pandemic return to the catwalks with a show within a show that featured gigantic gowns, skinny bodysuits and oversized jeans and a Simpsons collab; as well as experimenting with next-gen technologies and materials such as connected clothing and leather alternatives.
In March 2022, he made history as one of few designers to stand publicly with Ukraine. The Balenciaga AW22 show opened with a recording of Demna reading a poem in Ukrainian, while guests were handed out T-shirts with the colours of the Ukrainian flag. The models walked against artificial snow and wind, within a massive snowglobe that kept attendees behind the glass. But pushing the envelope comes with risks; the house famously had to deal with widespread backlash to two ad campaigns featuring images of children in November 2022. The company as well as the designer quickly apologised and released a statement listing actions they were taking in response, including improving their content validation processes and creating grants to organisations that protect children.
In September 2024, it was reported that Demna had renegotiated his contract for an unspecified period of time. During couture week this past January, Demna received the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres with Kering’s top brass, including François-Henri Pinault, in attendance.
Demna’s most recent show for Balenciaga, taking place just a few days ago in Paris, was another comment on the state of the world. Having designed a 400-metre-long runway in the shape of a maze, he said backstage after the show: “A maze has multiple ways that you can take and multiple destinations. I feel like there is a parallel to the moment in which we are right now, especially in the industry and in general. It’s the moment where the choices are being made and the choice is final.”
His last show for Balenciaga will be during couture in June 2025. No word yet on who will be succeeding him at the helm.
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