Welcome to the 82nd insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we revisit Balenciaga Spring 2022, explaining the 10 minute collaboration between Balenciaga and The Simpsons.
Developed by Demna Gvasalia in partnership with The Simpsons' team, this crossover episode pokes fun at the traditions of fashion through a series of cliches and targeted jokes. The collaboration was unveiled at Balenciaga’s Spring 2022 showing, located inside the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. For many attendees, this was their first physical runway since the preceding pandemic, making the physical-digital medium all more ironic.
As the plot unfolds, Homer rushes to cure Marge of her annual birthday depression, mistakenly buying her a €19,000 Balenciaga dress which he thought was $88. Homer stumbles over the namesake’s pronunciation and Marge’s exaggerated shoulder gets stuck in the doorway, before Gvasalia (in animated form) orchestrates a fashion show. The project was presented in front of an audience that lies at the butt of each joke, but the designer justifies his comedic actions with an authentic statement; “Well, we needed something fun to happen,”
Gvasalia’s love for irony is no secret, but his attachment to The Simpsons is, tracing back to his time in the Soviet Union. During the nation’s collapse, the sheltered people learned of theWestern world through television and movies, himself included. The timeless series played a critical role in the designer’s understanding of external cultures, in which he pays homage to in the episode.
Each notorious member of Springfield is outfitted in Balenciaga’s designs, continuing to play on fashion’s most blatant platitudes. Bart flashes the press on the runway and is similarly mooned back, while Homer stuffs his face so full of food they’re unable to measure his waist size. The episode comes to a close as Marge walks in a beautifully adorned dress, fulfilling Gvasalia’s life-long collaborative dream.
Comments