{"id":2717,"date":"2025-06-25T05:47:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T12:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=2717"},"modified":"2025-06-25T05:47:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T12:47:41","slug":"the-balenciaga-by-demna-exhibition-is-loaded-with-sound-and-humor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=2717","title":{"rendered":"The &#8216;Balenciaga by Demna&#8217; Exhibition is Loaded with Sound, and Humor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe new \u201cBalenciaga by Demna\u201d exhibition in Paris features some of the Georgian designer\u2019s own clothes, his voice \u2013 and the irreverence and design innovation that defined his decade at the Paris house.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIt opens with a retrospective of his fashion show invitations \u2013 a microcosm of his wry commentaries on luxury, and boundary-stretching antics \u2013 and a rejection letter dated 2007, when he was a student at  Antwerp\u2019s Royal Academy of Fine Arts and had applied for a menswear internship at Balenciaga.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cWe\u2019ve carefully review your application and, after consideration, we will not be moving forward with your candidacy at this time,\u201d it reads.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tDemna\u2019s voiceover \u2013 which competes with 49 others, creating a cacophony of voices in a vast showroom space at Kering headquarters \u2013 expresses relief, for his professional journey might have turned out differently had he received a yes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAfter graduating with a master\u2019s degree in fashion design in 2006, Demna went on to work for Walter van Beirendonck, Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton before cofounding Vetements in 2014, and assuming the helm of Balenciaga the following year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tHe is to wrap up his tenure on July 9 with a swan-song Balenciaga couture show before officially taking the design helm of Gucci \u2013 which he foreshadows by including an ensemble from his 2021 Hacking Project, which hinged on \u201cconceptual interpretations of Gucci\u2018s recognizable signatures as Balenciaga products.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   aligncenter size-large aligncenter lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:819px;\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((1024\/819)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGA-SPRING-22-LOOK-21-THE-HACKER-PROJECT-LOOK.jpg?w=240\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGA-SPRING-22-LOOK-21-THE-HACKER-PROJECT-LOOK.jpg?w=2048 4000w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGA-SPRING-22-LOOK-21-THE-HACKER-PROJECT-LOOK.jpg?resize=120,150 120w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGA-SPRING-22-LOOK-21-THE-HACKER-PROJECT-LOOK.jpg?resize=240,300 240w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"1024\" width=\"819\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  a-font-secondary-regular-m lrv-u-margin-t-050\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">A Balenciaga look from the \u201cHacking Project\u201d with Gucci.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThere is humor in the content \u2013 an open laptop broadcasts the 10-minute episode of \u201cThe Simpsons | Balenciaga\u201d screened at his raucous \u201cRed Carpet\u201d show \u2013 and the methods of display, some garments shown on hangars plucked straight from the archive racks, single shoes rotating like an A&amp;W sign of yore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAn eerily lifelike mannequin of artist Eliza Douglas, one of Demna\u2019s fetish models, recurs twice, modeling the opening look from his debut show for spring 2016, and a semi-fitted gown in scuba satin from spring 2025. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tA red \u201cswing\u201d puffer worn off the shoulder like an evening gown, also from his debut collection, shows how Demna reinterpreted silhouettes from founder Crist\u00f3bal Balenciaga.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   aligncenter size-large aligncenter lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:819px;\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((1024\/819)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGBA-WINTER-16-LOOK-14-SWING-PUFFER-WITH-BLACK-PUMPS.jpg?w=240\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGBA-WINTER-16-LOOK-14-SWING-PUFFER-WITH-BLACK-PUMPS.jpg?w=2048 4000w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGBA-WINTER-16-LOOK-14-SWING-PUFFER-WITH-BLACK-PUMPS.jpg?resize=120,150 120w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGBA-WINTER-16-LOOK-14-SWING-PUFFER-WITH-BLACK-PUMPS.jpg?resize=240,300 240w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"1024\" width=\"819\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  a-font-secondary-regular-m lrv-u-margin-t-050\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">A \u201cswing\u201d puffer and black pumps from Balenciaga\u2019s fall 2016 show.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-secondary-regular-s lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-font-size-11 lrv-u-color-grey lrv-u-margin-l-025\">Courtesy of Balenciaga<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tHis penchant for trompe-l\u2019\u0153il recurs in several looks, while \u201creadymade\u201d designs include a clutch purse shaped like a stolen side-view mirror, and a bangle cast in resin to resemble a roll of packing tape.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIn his narration, Demna explains that he once repurposed a real potato chip bag to hold his phone and other essentials while attending an event. Paparazzi photos aroused curiosity in the Lay\u2019s and Doritos of the world \u2013 and Balenciaga\u2019s merchandising team. To wit: A long-running accessories franchise was born, the pouches crafted in leather with a metallic interior.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   aligncenter size-large aligncenter lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:768px;\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((1024\/768)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Annik-Wetter_2025-05-04_33444.jpg?w=225\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Annik-Wetter_2025-05-04_33444.jpg?w=2048 5316w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Annik-Wetter_2025-05-04_33444.jpg?resize=113,150 113w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Annik-Wetter_2025-05-04_33444.jpg?resize=225,300 225w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"1024\" width=\"768\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  a-font-secondary-regular-m lrv-u-margin-t-050\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">A Balenciaga chip-bag pouch displayed on a stainless steel stanchion by Andrew J. Greene.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-secondary-regular-s lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-font-size-11 lrv-u-color-grey lrv-u-margin-l-025\">Annik Wetter\/Courtesy of Balenciaga<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe designer includes a few of his most controversial designs, including a blue leather duffel that resembles an Ikea Frakta carryall, and his $925 towel skirt, an example of how \u201cspontaneous gestures\u201d can spark design ideas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cI love that it makes you question whether this is a joke or not,\u201d Demna says in his narration. \u201cIt\u2019s great to question things. Bye bye!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe tongue-in-cheek, thumb-in-the-eye attitude extends through to the exhibition catalog, printed to resemble a mid-market glossy with too many cover lines, and a fake ad for a Balenciaga watch, bearing a caseback instead of the time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   aligncenter size-large aligncenter lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:819px;\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((1024\/819)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGA-BY-DEMNA-MAGAZINE_EXHIBITION-CATALOGUE.jpg?w=240\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGA-BY-DEMNA-MAGAZINE_EXHIBITION-CATALOGUE.jpg?w=2048 4000w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGA-BY-DEMNA-MAGAZINE_EXHIBITION-CATALOGUE.jpg?resize=120,150 120w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BALENCIAGA-BY-DEMNA-MAGAZINE_EXHIBITION-CATALOGUE.jpg?resize=240,300 240w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"1024\" width=\"819\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  a-font-secondary-regular-m lrv-u-margin-t-050\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">The cover of the exhibition catalog, in the format of a glossy magazine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-secondary-regular-s lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-font-size-11 lrv-u-color-grey lrv-u-margin-l-025\">Courtesy of Balenciaga<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIn total, there are 101 exhibits spanning 30 collections and loads of experimentation in volumes, silhouettes and attitude, including his \u201cfake layering coat\u201d from winter 2018 and perhaps too many \u201cpantashoes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cAfter this, I promise it\u2019s the last one in this exhibition,\u201d he implores toward the end of the cross-shaped display.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe exhibition is open to the public from Thursday through July 9 via online registration.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   aligncenter size-large aligncenter lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:768px;\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((1024\/768)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Annik-Wetter_2025-05-04_33463.jpg?w=225\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Annik-Wetter_2025-05-04_33463.jpg?w=2048 5315w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Annik-Wetter_2025-05-04_33463.jpg?resize=112,150 112w, https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Annik-Wetter_2025-05-04_33463.jpg?resize=225,300 225w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"1024\" width=\"768\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  a-font-secondary-regular-m lrv-u-margin-t-050\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">A humanoid sculpture of Demna by artist Mark Jenkins.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-secondary-regular-s lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-font-size-11 lrv-u-color-grey lrv-u-margin-l-025\">Annik Wetter\/Courtesy of Balenciaga<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The new \u201cBalenciaga by Demna\u201d exhibition in Paris features some of the Georgian designer\u2019s own clothes, his voice \u2013 and the irreverence and design innovation that defined his decade at the Paris house. It opens with a retrospective of his fashion show invitations \u2013 a microcosm of his wry commentaries on luxury, and boundary-stretching antics \u2013 and a rejection letter dated 2007, when he was a student at Antwerp\u2019s Royal Academy of Fine Arts and had applied for a menswear internship at Balenciaga. \u201cWe\u2019ve carefully review your application and, after consideration, we will not be moving forward with your candidacy at this time,\u201d it reads. Demna\u2019s voiceover \u2013 which competes with 49 others, creating a cacophony of voices in a vast showroom space at Kering headquarters \u2013 expresses relief, for his professional journey might have turned out differently had he received a yes. After graduating with a master\u2019s degree in fashion design in 2006, Demna went on to work for Walter van Beirendonck, Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton before cofounding Vetements in 2014, and assuming the helm of Balenciaga the following year. He is to wrap up his tenure on July 9 with a swan-song Balenciaga couture show before officially taking the design helm of Gucci \u2013 which he foreshadows by including an ensemble from his 2021 Hacking Project, which hinged on \u201cconceptual interpretations of Gucci\u2018s recognizable signatures as Balenciaga products.\u201d A Balenciaga look from the \u201cHacking Project\u201d with Gucci. There is humor in the content \u2013 an open laptop broadcasts the 10-minute episode of \u201cThe Simpsons | Balenciaga\u201d screened at his raucous \u201cRed Carpet\u201d show \u2013 and the methods of display, some garments shown on hangars plucked straight from the archive racks, single shoes rotating like an A&amp;W sign of yore. An eerily lifelike mannequin of artist Eliza Douglas, one of Demna\u2019s fetish models, recurs twice, modeling the opening look from his debut show for spring 2016, and a semi-fitted gown in scuba satin fro&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2717"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}