When one thinks of haute couture, typically streetwear, goth, skater and metalhead subcultures don’t immediately spring to mind. That is, unless you are Demna. Balenciaga’s creative director turned couture on its head during Haute Couture week in Paris, presenting a collection that opened with t-shirts, denim, hoodies and outerwear teamed with larger-than-life hats created in collaboration with international artists.
The inspiration for the deceptively simple streetwear was the work of Andy Warhol, which transformed everyday objects into art forms. Balenciaga’s AW24 haute couture collection emphasises innovation by utilising unconventional materials throughout. A hand-painted t-shirt; a synthetic hair-covered coat that took two and a half months to make; a dress crafted from melted and upcycled plastic bags (some with their original logos intact); and a bustier column of aluminium foil are but some examples of reinterpretations of materials that paraded down the runway. The perfect encapsulation of Demna’s whimsy was the final dress: an intricately draped piece crafted from 47 metres of nylon.
Friends of the House were in attendance for the unveiling of the collection, including Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Joey King, Katy Perry and Naomi Watts, wearing head-to-toe Balenciaga and hater-blocking shades.
