excerpt: Balenciaga. Couture 2025/2026 - Paris

 

"...Demna's held his final show at the late Cristóbal Balenciaga's restored Maison in Paris, in which the previous four couture's showings, under Demna, were also held within the Maison and the questions will remain; Will Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, who is now the new creative director for Balenciaga, maintain a couture imprint for Balenciaga?  Can Piccioli risk dialing back Demna's Balenciaga?   The 2025, 2026 Couture collection did not offer any subtley to its styles, rather it was, within its final context, Demna's parting shot.  Indicating, that  his version of Balenciaga would not leave gracefully, including the soundtrack of everyone that ever worked with Demna's Balenciaga speaking out their names, including Demna's ragtag looking models.  It may take a few seasons for Piccioli to unwind it all.

But, Gucci is, metaphorically speaking, cursed.  And the main question everyone will be asking, will Demna be able to slam his Eastern European 1990s imprint onto Gucci, and sell it back to the Chinese market, who may have missed him at Balenciaga?

We shall see."

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(A.Glass 2025)

Full review: chiasmusmagazine.blogspot.com/2025/07/balenciaga-couture-20252026-paris.html