Demna’s Balenciaga Forever, Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2025

By Jesse Scott

It would be no exaggeration to say that Balenciaga’s Haute Couture AW2025-2026 show was one of the most anticipated of the season. Nor would it be far-fetched to say that it was surrounded by anticipation for more than one reason. For some, it marked the long-awaited swan song of Demna Gasalia at the helm of the House. For appreciators of Demna’s ironic aesthetic, it was the bittersweet expectation of the last plunge into the dystopian world of Demna’s Balenciaga. Despite a certain degree of polarization, both camps anticipated this show to turn out another provocative statement on the merge of fashion and social criticism. Instead, Demna did what he does best: he surprised us.

The 54th Balenciaga Couture show unfolded at Balenciaga’s historic headquarters on 10 Avenue George V, beginning a modest twenty minutes behind schedule, which was practically punctual by this season’s haute couture standards. The delay allowed extra time for the A-list guests to mingle, among which we could spot Kering’s owner François Pinault, accompanied by Salma Hayek; brand ambassador Nicole Kidman; singers Cardi B, Lorde, and Katy Perry; actors Kyle MacLachlan, Renata Litvinova, and Patrick Schwarzenegger; influencers Bryanboy and Lyas; and, most notably, Pierpaolo Piccioli - Demna’s successor at Balenciaga.

The show itself felt surprisingly comforting, in part due to the carefully curated soundtrack. It opened with the voices of Demna’s team members stating their names - a quiet tribute to the people who stood by him throughout his tenure. The show then moved into Sade’s “No Ordinary Love,” a song that holds a special place in Demna’s heart and that accurately mirrors his complex, emotional relationship with the House.

While the collection was heavily Cristóbal Balenciaga coded, “La Bourgeoisie” dress code and Neapolitan tailoring served as additional inspirations. Familiar minimalist architectural silhouettes appeared throughout, mostly rendered in a staple monochromatic palette punctuated by electrifying pops of color (Look 38, Look 37). Meticulously crafted corsets, though non-restrictive, as well as garments made of innovative fabrics highlighted once again the design team’s extraordinary craftsmanship and Demna’s innovative vision (Look 34, Look 36, Look 32). Despite using traditional tailoring technique, the nine presented suits were given a “Balenciaga glow-up” thanks to “one-size-fits-all” construction (Look 22, Look 23).

Backstage at the Balenciaga Autumn/Winter 2025 Couture show (Images courtesy of Balenciaga)

One standout was the trompe-l’œil jacket and skirt ensemble, a technique Demna favors, which required 7,000 hours of labor to transform pearls and thread embroidery into the illusion of a pied-de-poule motif (Look 8). Some of the looks were accompanied by Lorraine Schwartz High Jewelry pieces, featuring over one thousand carats of precious stones (Look 30). 

Overall, we saw an abundance of references to iconic Demna-era staples, like couture puffer coat and a floral skirt-suit, whose pattern was notoriously inspired by Demna’s Georgian grandmother’s tablecloths (Look 18, Look 10). However, the streetwear aesthetic was notably toned down, which perhaps was supposed to make the brand more Piccioli-ready. 

Backstage at the Balenciaga Autumn/Winter 2025 Couture show (Images courtesy of Balenciaga)

Kim Kardashian, Eva Herzigová, Naomi Campbell and Minttu Vesala were among the models who walked in Demna’s final show (Look 9). Eliza Douglas, the model who opened his very first show for the house in 2015 and remained a key collaborator throughout the years, returned to close the runway, wearing a seamless Guipure lace wedding gown (Look 39). It was a deeply symbolic gesture, marking the end of Demna’s ten-year tenure at the house. The show ended with the designer's first ever bow which was met with a standing ovation from the guests. For once, the designer allowed himself to step out of the shadow and accept the praise for a decade of boundary-pushing work. 

Balenciaga Autumn/Winter 2025 Couture draws a bold and unapolagetic audiences as Demna presents his final collection for one of Paris' oldest coutiers, now transformed under Demna's creative direction (Images courtesy of Balenciaga)

Demna’s seminal work at Balenciaga was undoubtedly polarizing, and people can accuse Demna’s approach of many things: provocation, bad taste, even cynicism but lacking a point of view has never been one of them. He masterfully blended “high and low”, legitimized irony in fashion, fearlessly tackled uncomfortable topics, and embraced radical innovation. Demna’s Balenciaga forever changed the way we look at fashion, and, most importantly, the way we wear clothes today. 

Backstage at the Balenciaga Autumn/Winter 2025 Couture show (Images courtesy of Balenciaga)