Demna of Balenciaga. The beginning of the end?

Demna of Balenciaga has probably pushed the envelope too far, intentionally or not, with his antithesis fashion statements that were all achieved in a very indulgent manner under the mega 'holding' company Kering.  Hard to say why his manufactured backlash against fashion turned into an attempt at artistic shock value, which held very little originality any more than less trying to feed an ego gratification (and sales) via social media.   It has all been done before and very tedious. 

In light of his recent wayward controversy refer to these links:

thecut.com/2022/12/what-to-know-about-the-balenciaga-ad-scandal.html

news.artnet.com/art-world/matthew-barney-michael-borremans-balenciaga-controversy-2219987

theguardian.com/fashion/2022/nov/29/balenciaga-apologises-for-ads-featuring-bondage-bears-and-child-abuse-papers

A sensible analysis by The Fashion Law: thefashionlaw.com/balenciaga-ad-controversy-a-case-study-in-communication-in-a-crisis/

I certainly do not believe that Balenciaga under Demna created a conspiracy of exploitation.   However in light of Demna'a backlog of risque, what I feel has occurred is a baiting of conservatism and as mentioned through his shock value approach which has backfired.

From my Balenciaga Spring 2023 review:

"...The Hollywood-esque backdrop and its stage presence, is to attract and sell a product.  And the reality is that Demna's control at Balenciaga is specified as an exclusive appeal to America's celebritydom, who poured into Paris to attend his latest collection.  And if we are all at the end and society is in the stages of collapse, the American celebrity has had the least to offer any more than less its obsession with social media and their followers.

Maybe that's the point.   

"The sumptuous age of stars and images is reduced to a few artificial tornado effects, pathetic fake buildings, and childish tricks which the crowd pretends to be taken in by to avoid feeling too disappointed. Ghost towns, ghost people. The whole place has the same air of obsolescence about it as Sunset or Hollywood Boulevard."  

Jean Baudrillard "

All my Balenciaga reviews: chiasmusmagazine.blogspot.com/search?q=balenciaga&updated-max=2022-03-09T20:00:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=8&by-date=false  

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