At Balenciaga Fall 2025 Couture, Demna Takes His First—and Final—Bow
After a decade of unforgettable fashion moments, the designer closed his tenure with a surprisingly restrained and deeply personal collection.
Today, for the first and last time during his reign as Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna ran out and took a bow at the end of his haute couture show. After 10 years at the brand’s helm, the Georgian designer, who was recently named Gucci’s new maestro, presented his swan song for the heritage house, which was founded by Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga in the early 20th century. The collection was surprising in its restraint. And pleasingly so.
Throughout his time at Balenciaga, Demna, who founded the brand Vetements in the 2010s with his brother, Guram (who was notably absent from today’s show), hasn’t shied away from controversy or taboo. Early on, he embraced Kim Kardashian and Kanye West as unofficial ambassadors, only severing ties with the latter after his “White Lives Matter” T-shirt scandal in 2022. Kim, however, remains a friend of the house and walked in today’s show—a repeat performance for the star, who first appeared on Demna’s runway back in 2022.
During his tenure, he notably didn’t shy away from political commentary. Case in point, his fall 2022 collection which, presented in something of a desolate snow globe, was seen as a commentary on the war in Ukraine—something that, as a refugee of Russia’s 1993 invasion of Georgia, struck close to home for the designer. However, his viral shows were not without criticism. Among the headlines were those calling him out for often using predominantly super-thin, white models in his early collections. And critics and consumers alike questioned whether his Ikea-inspired tote bags, tape-roll bangles, and towel skirts were really worth their multi-thousand-dollar price tags.
But, as evidenced by an exhibition chronicling his work at Balenciaga which, held at parent company Kering’s Paris headquarters, closed this evening, Demna brought much more to the brand than gimmicks and contention. Rather, he deftly incorporated Mr. Balenciaga’s codes into forward-thinking, often shocking garments and accessories that not only appealed to the Instagram set, but also spoke to our utterly perplexing times.
His final show, attended by such disparate characters as Cardi B, Nicole Kidman, Lorde, Lauren Sanchez, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Kyle MacLachlan, did just that. Lacking was the sort of rage-bait nonsense that struck critics’ nerves, like his caution-tape dress, and 4,500-euro potato-chip pouches. Instead, we were presented with exaggerated-yet-impeccable tailoring aplenty, myriad old-Hollywood references (a favorite Demna reference)—most notably on Kardashian dressed in homage to Elizabeth Taylor—and an expertly sculpted white lace gown which, worn by longtime muse, artist Eliza Douglas, recalled the revered, wobbling gowns of his fall 2019 collection.
Yes, he referenced his signatures—an immaculate, oversize trench coat; a subversive polka dot frock; strong-shouldered suits, etc.—but why wouldn’t he? This collection was at once a reflection on and a celebration of his last decade of work—the good, the bad, and the sublimely ugly. That bow was well deserved.
Below, a look at some of the highlights with Demna’s descriptions from the show notes.
Kim Kardashian
“My ode to Elizabeth Taylor is worn by Kim: a ‘mink’ coat made of embroidered feathers, worn over a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof silk slip. To complete this tribute, she wears Elizabeth Taylor’s most iconic personal diamond pendant earrings from Lorraine Schwartz’s private collection.”
“A 1957 floral motif is applied to a sequined, pattern-matched skirt suit and handbag—evoking my grandma’s kitchen tablecloth from my childhood.”
Isabelle Huppert
“Garments are sculptural and intricate in their construction, while embracing minimalism and reduction in their architecture. Notions of lightness and comfort feature throughout, alongside an exaggerated hourglass created using reengineered ‘comfortable’ corsetry.”
“The Golden Age of Hollywood, a perpetual obsession of mine informs a study of Old Hollywood glamour. A black sequined ‘Diva’ gown [as seen on Naomi Campbell] inspired by Marilyn Monroe, a pink ‘Debutante’ princess dress in the world’s lightest technical organza. A draped dress cut with one seam.”
“Two fans are recreated from the archives of Duvelleroy—the most ‘eccentric’ couture accessory.”
“Tailoring developed with 4 family-run ateliers from Naples follows the unstructured Neapolitan style pioneered by Vincenzo Attolini. 9 suits, created as ‘one-size-fits-all’ ensembles made-to-measure on a bodybuilder, are worn by models with various body types. It is not the garment that defines the body, but the body that defines the garment.”
“The starting point for the collection was a study of the dress codes of ‘La Bourgeoisie.’ Severe and monumental tailoring for women with tulip lapels that frame the face, alongside high-collared, constructed Medici and Nosferatu-esque necklines.”
“Inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s love of jewelry, Lorraine Schwartz created over 1,000 carats of custom-made high jewelry with white diamonds, natural emeralds, Padparadsha sapphires, pink diamonds, and canary yellow diamonds to accessorize the collection.”
“The finale look worn by Eliza is a seamless Guipure lace gown shaped with millinery techniques—the ultimate minimal sculptural gown that represents everything this house stands for.”
