Welcome to the 120th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we go backstage with @demna to discover Balenciaga’s Spring ‘23 collection, easily missed details and outrageous accessories.
On Sunday night, @balenciaga’s Demna Gvasilia debuted his Spring 2023 collection in Paris, France. A week prior, invitations were sent out to guests in the form of a so-called “lost wallet”, which, when opened, revealed a random assortment of identity cards, cat pictures, bills, coins and of course, a flyer for the afterparty that followed.
Arriving at the show’s location, attendees were unexpectedly gifted rubber boots and instructed to remove any valuable footwear. While confusing at first, the precautions seemed fit after meeting eyes with the runway itself, which happened to be a crater filled with hundreds of tons of mud. An earthy scent billowed through the air, designed by Gvasilia’s frequent collaborator, Sissel Tolass, in order to provide an authentic runway experience.
Ye, better known as @kanyewest, opened the show, trudging through a watery mess of brown sludge in an oversized tech vest and custom mouthguard. Splattered from the thigh downwards, each model was coated in muck by the end of their rounds, destroying every carefully battered item that walked with them.
Most garments were intentionally (and painstakingly) thrashed to emphasize the apparently war-torn effect, “it’s much more difficult to make something that looks dirty, than keep it clean” Demna joked backstage. Nonetheless, from individually distressed teddy bear bags to rip-off Supreme box logos, the Maison set undoubted precedence for ingenuity this season.
With a distinct focus on accessories, social media erupted at first glance of Balenciaga’s Lays chip bags, originally seen in June this year. Unhinged sunglasses, leather glove bags (reference to McQueen), and baby dolls were just some of Spring 23’s oddities, before mentioning the neon snake plushes, battered makeup or battlefield of piercings.
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