At Balenciaga's Winter 2024, Anything for Demna's Aesthetic
After going Hollywood in December, Balenciaga returns to Paris for its Winter 2024 presentation centered around aesthetics, specifically Demna's aesthetic. "This collection is about the aesthetic that I have been evolving in fashion for exactly ten years now. It is about identifying with and belonging to this aesthetic. It is also about the fashion that matters to me," Demna said in audible show notes.
Let's paint a picture of Demna's Balenciaga Winter 2024. Balenciaga Winter 2024 commenced in a room surrounded by screens showcasing visuals ranging from trippy nightlife scenes of the big city to random TikTok videos.
Names like Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Juyeon, and Cole Sprouse joined the audience. The mix of Balenciaga regulars and ambassadors alike came outfitted in the brand's pieces, a few wearing outfits from previous shows and the one they were about to witness.
On the Balenciaga Winter 2024 runway, more of Demna's aesthtic unfolded, connecting past and present themes of the house's creativity (he calls creativity a "new form of luxury"). There were halterneck trench coats, bodycon dresses with exaggerated hips, and more jeans-tops (literally, the denim pants as shirts).
Intense layering gave way to serious dresses on dresses situations. Balenciaga's normal oversized pile-ons consisted of Balenciaga's collaborative eBay t-shirts and spoofs on those 2010s "Keep Calm" graphic and vintage Planet Hollywood tees.
A Balenciaga backpack outfit mingled with sack dresses and gowns made entirely out of underwear. At the same time, taped-up 'fits took us back to Kim Kardashian's cautionary ensemble from a few years ago.
There was no sign of Balenciaga's wild formal runners previewed before the show. But there were several other statement accessories, including new mask sunglasses, beanies extending over models' eyes, iPhone bracelets, leather price tags, and huge new boots to rival its Spring 2023 pairs. The name? The Stomper Boots, of course.
In case any fans can't wait till the winter season, Balenciaga's Winter 2024 collection is now available. Well, a couple of the pieces, I should say.
