Balenciaga by Demna: A Revolution in Modern Couture

Balenciaga by Demna feels like more than just a fashion chapter—it’s a retrospective journey through a decade of transformation that began in 2015 and continues through 2025. As someone who has followed Demna’s work closely, I’ve seen how he reshaped Balenciaga under Kering, anchoring it firmly in contemporary fashion while challenging norms.

Walking through the Palais Galliera during the current exhibition, one can truly grasp the design evolution from Cristóbal Balenciaga’s original design principles to Demna’s rebellious reinterpretations. The curated display of 101 pieces, including complete looks, garments, accessories, and footwear, tells a powerful story using 50 exhibits, custom mounts, and hyperrealistic sculptures—I found the dry cleaner-style hangers and dual-sided installations especially clever.

What stood out was how Demna redefined silhouettes, volumes, and attitudes through 30 collections, crafting a wardrobe that mixed upcycling, readymade, and even trompe-l’œil. His work plays with fashion’s relationship to luxury and function, blurring boundaries in ways I hadn’t expected. His conceptual contributions and thematic contributions push viewers to reflect on fashion as art and statement.

I loved how object-based invitations, drawn from runway shows, were presented as art objects themselves. The audio system, with digitally rendered voice narration, gave insight into Demna’s creative process and the significance of his work. Visitors felt immersed—especially with pieces from Spring 2026, and works from the Exactitudes series.

Some artworks, like the kinetic sculpture from the Red Carpet collection or the humanoid sculpture seen in the closing look, were striking. Collaborations with artists such as Mark Jenkins and Andrew J. Greene added layers, as did Balenciaga Art in Stores from Summer 2022. I found the mannequins placed on motorised, stainless-steel stanchions especially moving—they weren’t just models; they were metaphors.

The official catalogue felt like a hybrid of fashion magazine and publication, featuring rich visuals, runway references, and archival codes. To visit, I had to register on exposition.balenciaga.com, and the show runs from 26th of June to 9th of July at the Laennec headquarters in Paris’s 7th arrondissement—a 17th-century venue that makes you feel the history breathing through every wall.

With Demna’s recent departure and rumors about Pierpaolo Piccioli becoming his successor, it’s clear the House is heading in a new direction. But this résumé exhibition remains a strong reminder of how Balenciaga reshaped fashion, using formal exercises, runway presentations, and a mix of archival and future-forward codes that mark his time as a truly defining era.