EXHIBITION: Balenciaga by Demna
by Adriano Batista
Ten years of Demna at Balenciaga aren’t just being celebrated but also being dissected. The Balenciaga by Demna exhibition, staged at Kering’s Laennec headquarters in Paris, isn’t a typical retrospective. It’s a manifesto. From June 26 to July 9, 101 carefully chosen pieces (complete looks, standalone garments, shoes, and accessories) capture Demna’s transformative approach to design.
The exhibition opens with a display of collection invitations, subtle previews of the creative direction to come. The selected works, drawn from 30 collections, demonstrate Demna’s reinterpretation of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy through exaggerated proportions, trompe-l’œil effects, upcycled materials, and a persistent challenge to conventional ideas of luxury.
Pieces appear on custom mounts, alongside their archival inspirations, or as part of artistic collaborations. Hyperrealistic sculptures recreate memorable runway moments, while works by artists like Mark Jenkins and Andrew J. Greene integrate fashion with contemporary art. Garments hang from dry-cleaner racks or rotate slowly, inviting closer inspection.
For half of the exhibits, audio narrations by Demna provide insight into their creation. The accompanying catalogue, designed like a fashion magazine, mirrors the designer’s ability to merge high style with cultural relevance.
This exhibition marks the conclusion of Demna’s ready-to-wear work for Balenciaga, anchored by the Exactitudes collection.
Check it out below:
Balenciaga by Demna runs through July 9. Registration is available at exposition.balenciaga.com.
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