Latest news with #Demna
The Star
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
From Balenciaga and onward to Gucci: Demna's final show was his legacy letter
It's rare that anyone gets to curate their own legacy. Usually that's the prerogative of the future, something that can only happen in retrospect. But on Wednesday (July 9) in Paris, Demna, the mononymic designer who has defined Balenciaga for the past 10 years, transforming it from a symbol of austere and unattainable perfection into a pop culture phenomenon, was able to use his final couture show to do exactly that. In March it was announced that he was leaving the brand to go to Gucci, but rather than cut ties immediately, he was given the opportunity to design his exit. Now, that is elegant. And so it was. The audience was rife with the celebrities who were the avatars of his disruptive, initially shocking, style: Nicole Kidman and Cardi B; Lorde and Katy Perry. Even Lauren Sanchez Bezos, fresh from her Venice wedding, was there. Read more: Michelle Yeoh and other stars light up Demna's final Balenciaga runway show The show itself was chockablock with characters, including Kim Kardashian channeling Elizabeth Taylor in a champagne duchesse-satin slip dress, a tawny fur coat actually made of feathers trailing from her shoulders and, in her ears, 15 carats of diamond drop earrings that Mike Todd gave Taylor, on loan from jeweller Lorraine Schwartz. Demna used his final couture show to do what he had always done as Balenciaga's creative head: transform the once-strict fashion house into a pop culture force. Photo: Balenciaga Also Isabelle Huppert offering Left Bank haute beatnik in skinny black capris and a black turtleneck, a hidden corset turning her into an hourglass. The soundtrack was composed of the names of those who had helped Demna over the decade, recited in their own voices. Most of all, it was the clothes that spoke for him. Each one was representative of how he had assumed the challenge of silhouette inherent in the name of Balenciaga and turned it inside-out, combining his streetwear roots with the highfalutin' heritage of the house to upend the totems of luxury and genuinely influence how everyone dressed. Whether they bought Balenciaga or not. Shoulders jutted like iron struts in not-quite-polite tailored coat dresses and midi suits. The collars of simple silk and cashmere sweaters curved up and around the face like razor-edged tulips. Slouchy corduroy trousers turned out to be made from what the team said was 300 kilometers (more than 185 miles) of tufted yarn, and a long quilted puffer came with no side seams, so it resembled the articulated shell of an armadillo. Classic men's suiting had been made by traditional Neapolitan ateliers – but prototyped on the frame of a body builder and then modelled not only by him but nine other men of notably different sizes (including Demna's husband, the composer known as BFRND), so the jackets hung on their frames and twisted around their ankles. The better to suggest, Demna said backstage, that one size could fit all. The point being, he continued, that it should not be the garment that defines the body, 'but the body that defines the garment'. That's why he replaced the logos on the oh-so-proper handbags dangling from models' arms with their own names. Why what looked like extreme corsetry beneath the draped siren dresses of Olde Hollywood that ended the show turned out to be made from a sort of shapewear, built of layers and layers of stretch material, so it allowed the person within to actually breathe. And sit. And that's progress. Read more: All eyes on fashion provocateur Demna as he attempts to revive Gucci's fortunes In the end, it was a reminder of how much Demna had let the air into the cloistered environs not just of couture – it was only four years ago that he reintroduced the practice to Balenciaga after a 53-year hiatus – but fashion in general. How, by using the vernacular of the everyday and applying it to the elite and the exclusive, he pulled down the barriers of both. To that end, the house photographed every piece in the collection on the streets of Paris, rather than in the salon. After the show, for the first – and last – time, Demna came out to take a bow. Once upon a time, back in 2015 when he arrived, he might have been seen as an interloper, but he was leaving as an agent of change. On every seat he had put a note that read in part, 'Fashion lives on the edge of tomorrow, driven not by what we know but the thrill of discovering what's next.' On Monday, he starts at Gucci. – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Malay Mail
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Highlights from Paris Couture Week: Floral trends, star-studded shows, and new faces in fashion
PARIS, July 13 — Paris Haute Couture Week has wrapped up after four days of shows that featured the end of an era at Balenciaga, the start of a new one at Maison Margiela, and some surprise appearances and absences. AFP looks back on the key moments of the Autumn-Winter 2025-2026 season: New eras Demna bowed out at Balenciaga after a decade in charge with a show on Wednesday that drew the usual smattering of celebrities to the front rows but had some surprise models on the runway. Kim Kardashian channelled Elizabeth Taylor as she walked the room in a sultry slip dress, while veteran French actress Isabelle Huppert appeared in a turtleneck pulled up to her ears. Belgian Glenn Martens debuted at Maison Margiela the same day. Critics praised his bold first steps as a replacement for British design legend John Galliano, who stepped down in January. The New York Times called Martens' 'Artisanal' collection, which included thrifted clothing, a 'brilliant no-holds-barred debut' while Women's Wear Daily said it 'tilted the Paris house in a dark, daring and DIY direction'. Armani's absence One notably absentee was Giorgio Armani, 91, who had already cancelled his menswear show in Milan due to health reasons. He also missed the Paris Armani Prive show on doctors' orders. 'In 20 years of Armani Prive, it's the first time I'm not in Paris,' he said in a statement sent to AFP. 'My doctors advised more rest, even though I felt ready.' He added that he had 'followed and overseen every aspect of the show remotely', stressing: 'I approved and signed off on everything you will see.' A model for Armani Prive. — AFP pic Cardi B's couture New York rapper Cardi B had a busy week in Paris and seemed intent on out-couturing many of the models. She appeared at the opening show of the week on Monday at Schiaparelli in a traffic-stopping tasselled neckpiece and posed with a crow perched on her hand outside the Petit Palais exhibition space. The next day, she turned heads at Stephane Rolland, with a sculptural black headpiece that surrounded her like a religious shroud. On Wednesday she was front row at Balenciaga. The rose trend Floral patterns were everywhere, with the rose especially dominant. Giambattista Valli adorned airy gowns with oversized fabric roses, Elie Saab featured them on princess-style dresses, while Armani Prive used pearl-embroidered roses. Balenciaga incorporated rose sequin prints into a skirt suit and Robert Wun showcased black-and-white roses on a structured strapless crinoline dress. A model presents a creation for Elie Saab. — AFP pic Best of the rest Syrian designer Rami Al Ali made history as the first couturier from his country to take part in the official Paris calendar, choking back tears at the end of his show of exquisitely tailored pieces. Dutch duo Viktor & Rolf delivered a typically playful and sculptural spectacle, while Hong Kong's Robert Wun burnished his reputation further with some striking looks inspired by cinema and theatre. — AFP
Mint
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Paris Haute Couture Week: Designers celebrate love through fashion
It's been a season of celebrating love in all its forms at the Paris Haute Couture Week. House studios revisited their archives during the fashion showcase, serving pieces with a nod to the past but contemporary in spirit. A case in point being the Chanel show which celebrated nature, wide-open spaces and romance. Rahul Mishra had Sufism on his moodboard and exhibited through his 30-plus looks the evolution of love through seven stages: attraction, infatuation, surrender, reverence, devotion, obsession, and finally, death. This couture season also marked the end of an era at Balenciaga. After 10 years, Demna stepped away from his role as creative director, and at his final show in Paris was a love letter to his own work at the brand. Here are some of the key trends that emerged at the Paris Haute Couture Week. Also read: Paris Fashion Week: A menswear show of designs inspired by India, the 90s Classics with a twist Chanel's latest collection revisited major winter classics and featured suits in natural shades of ecru, ivory, brown, green and black. Staying true to the house DNA, their proportions were borrowed from menswear, ensuring complete freedom of movement. The tweed in the collection took on a knitted allure for a white coatdress with embroidered braids, a suit whose jacket seemed to be a jumper, and two mohair suits in autumnal hues of green or plum. A bouclé tweed gave the impression of sheepskin for a straight-cut coatdress in black and white, a skirt suit and a long gilet, as well as a pair of ivory short trousers that were painted and embroidered. Armani Privé's collection, Noir séduisant, played out every shade of evening black. From luxurious inky velvets to charcoal soigné numbers peppered with crystals to raven-toned plume boas, the show embodied after-dark glam but with Giorgio Armani's exacting minimalist approach. One of the key highlights of the show was a model carrying an opera cigarette holder. Interplay of textures The Chanel show exemplified the tactile appeal of feathers. The tweed pieces also created the illusion of faux fur with a trouser suit, a long coat, an embroidered over-cape and a short blouson jacket. The closing bridal look saw a veiled Chanel bride carrying a sheaf of gold wheat ears symbolising good luck. Armani Privé's final look was a shimmering, corseted suit jacket gown accessorised with a dramatic diaphanous fan covered in sequins. Embracing his core metier, Rahul Mishra yet again extrapolated traditional techniques of aari threadwork, zardozi, naqshi, dabka, and fareesha embroidery. Alongside resham threads, embellishments include beads, freshwater pearls, kundan, salli, and sequins, were all woven onto silk organza, tulle, velvet, and satin fabrics. Art inspo The Armani Privé show got off to a glamourous start with a trio of sculptural black trousers paired with forest green and cobalt blue tops that referenced Monet's Water Lilies. While Mishra's collection had some pieces inspired by the work of Gustav Klimt, Schiaparelli's show was punctuated with archival surrealist influences—whether it was the sculpted torsos or mechanical hearts. What's more, the padded faux skeleton details and molded torsos in duchesse satin recalled Man Ray's Venus Restored of 1936. The Apollo de Versailles motif, an embroidery of the chateau's fountain famously worn by actress and interior designer Elsie de Wolfe in a cape from 1938, was recontextualised on a transparent tulle cape. Manish Mishra is a Delhi-based writer and content creator. Also read: Milan Fashion Week: Designers offer luxury PJs, softly tailored suits
Business of Fashion
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business of Fashion
In Paris, Hellos, Goodbyes and Waiting For Creative Change
Listen to and follow the 'BoF Podcast': Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast Background: The latest fashion season marked a period of significant transition with new creative leadership taking centre stage at some of luxury's biggest houses. Highly anticipated debuts at Dior, Celine and Maison Margiela set the tone for a new direction, while designers like Rick Owens continued to redefine the emotional and aesthetic parameters of fashion. At Balenciaga, Demna bid farewell to his iconic aesthetic, setting the stage for his upcoming tenure at Gucci. Against this backdrop, BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks and editor-in-chief Imran Amed discuss the realities of a shifting luxury landscape and the growing tension around pricing, accessibility and the future structure of the luxury market. Key Insights: Jonathan Anderson's debut at Dior represented the start of a carefully managed transformation. 'Dior is like a performance for him; JW Anderson is the real Jonathan,' said Blanks. 'I felt he was on a mission to manage expectations. He was basically saying, give me time.' The conceptual collection served as an opening statement rather than a full evolution. Rick Owens remains a source of creative independence and authenticity. 'There is no compromise in what Rick Owens does. He is a beacon of hope,' said Blanks. Amed also highlighted how Owens' shows now offer a safe space that celebrates difference: 'He's been talking about how he wanted to create a place where people who don't subscribe to conventional notions of beauty can find a place where they can fit in. It's always so remarkable at his shows and presentations because you can really see that all come to life.' Demna's final Balenciaga show symbolised a deliberate departure from his signature aesthetic. 'He said goodbye to his Balenciaga,' said Blanks. Amed observed, 'At Balenciaga, Demna needed to put more of his own codes into it. At Gucci, he has so much to work with.' With this pivot, Demna closes one chapter while preparing to reinterpret another legacy house. Amid a challenging economic environment, luxury brands are reconsidering their pricing strategies. 'Luxury always worked in this pyramid where you had very high-end customer spending at the top. That pyramid structure has been kind of bloated in the middle now,' explained Imran. Brands are being forced to reevaluate what 'entry-level' really means. 'They're thinking about what they can put at the bottom … the entry-level price points." Additional Resources:
Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The main moments of Paris Couture Week
Paris Haute Couture Week has wrapped up after four days of shows that featured the end of an era at Balenciaga, the start of a new one at Maison Margiela, and some surprise appearances and absences. The main moments of Paris Couture Week AFP looks back on the key moments of the Autumn-Winter 2025-2026 season: Demna bowed out at Balenciaga after a decade in charge with a show on Wednesday that drew the usual smattering of celebrities to the front rows but had some surprise models on the runway. Kim Kardashian channelled Elizabeth Taylor as she walked the room in a sultry slip dress, while veteran French actress Isabelle Huppert appeared in a turtleneck pulled up to her ears. Belgian Glenn Martens debuted at Maison Margiela the same day. Critics praised his bold first steps as a replacement for British design legend John Galliano, who stepped down in January. The New York Times called Martens' "Artisanal" collection, which included thrifted clothing, a "brilliant no-holds-barred debut" while Women's Wear Daily said it "tilted the Paris house in a dark, daring and DIY direction". One notably absentee was Giorgio Armani, 91, who had already cancelled his menswear show in Milan due to health reasons. He also missed the Paris Armani Prive show on doctors' orders. "In 20 years of Armani Prive, it's the first time I'm not in Paris," he said in a statement sent to AFP. "My doctors advised more rest, even though I felt ready." He added that he had "followed and overseen every aspect of the show remotely", stressing: "I approved and signed off on everything you will see." New York rapper Cardi B had a busy week in Paris and seemed intent on out-couturing many of the models. She appeared at the opening show of the week on Monday at Schiaparelli in a traffic-stopping tasselled neckpiece and posed with a crow perched on her hand outside the Petit Palais exhibition space. The next day, she turned heads at Stephane Rolland, with a sculptural black headpiece that surrounded her like a religious shroud. On Wednesday she was front row at Balenciaga. Floral patterns were everywhere, with the rose especially dominant. Giambattista Valli adorned airy gowns with oversized fabric roses, Elie Saab featured them on princess-style dresses, while Armani Prive used pearl-embroidered roses. Balenciaga incorporated rose sequin prints into a skirt suit and Robert Wun showcased black-and-white roses on a structured strapless crinoline dress. Syrian designer Rami Al Ali made history as the first couturier from his country to take part in the official Paris calendar, choking back tears at the end of his show of exquisitely tailored pieces. Dutch duo Viktor & Rolf delivered a typically playful and sculptural spectacle, while Hong Kong's Robert Wun burnished his reputation further with some striking looks inspired by cinema and theatre. mdv-adp/gil Balenciaga This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
