On a stage, reminiscent of my 2 am TikTok feed, Demna showed his Fall/Winter 2024 collection for Balenciaga. An on-the-nose showcase of anonymity, luxury labels, and brain rot, Demna’s garments were nothing special, nor was I wowed. But alas, like most of his shows, the conceptualization of clothing rooted in his concepts, left me in awe during this digital age.
Since the beginning of his rule, Demna has poked fun at the luxury market (himself and Cristóbal’s namesake included). Showing a gimp mask at the New York Stock Exchange as commentary on anonymity as inherent value and that dreadful LA show mocking the Hidden Hill subculture, Demna collections have been rooted in a modern age, inspired by the now. This show is nothing less.
Quoted as his most personal show yet, when it comes to his style, Demna’s collection is strangely meta. Littered with looks from his past, the collection showed Demna’s evolution at Balenciaga, from graphic tee’s to couture. Demna’s show voicemail (his form of show notes) discussed what is luxury. What makes something luxurious? Linking the past and the future, the dresses are reminiscent of Cristóbal’s early draping work, yet with Demna’s twist they appear almost concrete and rigid, lacking the flow that once encapsulated Balenciaga. A frozen drapery, a cold war climate. Models were adorned in ragged furs, like matted strays. Something that would seem cheap but was one of the best furs all season.
As the show moved forward, traditional forms of dress were thrown away for the consumeristic avant-garde. Dresses made from Balenciaga dust bags. Suit proportions that made models look like they were in hand-me-downs. Many garments had Balenciaga tags poking out of the sides, or held by the models, something not new for the brand. The tag, a marker of consumerism, is what played with the luxury idea. Is it still cheap if you can see your tag? (Yes).
LED Backgrounds change from nature scenes to TikTok compilations (slime and subways surfer videos included) transforming the already digital-like clothes into something of the future but still rooted in the now. The beanie (which I hated), was a symbol of anonymity. Half of the model’s eyes or face were covered, blocking them out from the doom scrolling occurring on the walls behind them, hiding their face from society.
Demna has played with this idea of privacy and anonymity as the most valuable thing in our social-political climate, as I mentioned earlier in his Spring 23 collection. This idea that in a digital world, where everything is consumed and analyzed, the only thing we have left is our privacy, is what makes this collection, like most of Demna. Whether or not you like him, the clothes, or the brand, the pure concept and commentary blurs those lines. For better or worse, Demna’s Balenciaga will always be his.
Words and Graphic by Evan Skovronsky