Demna Gvasalia Exits Vetements

[aracic]

 

[aracic]

I won't deny that the current fashion chapter, in which the final pages are finally beginning to turn, was authored primarily by Demna through his work at Vetements and Balenciaga. His influence is undeniable. It has permeated broader swaths of the fashion industry and saturated many more tiers of the market than Phoebe ever did. And I've hated every second of it.

Oh how I wish he was leaving Balenciaga instead of Vetements.

AMEN. Hated. Every. Single. Second. of his career felt like a slap in the face. Such a joke of a man and not in a good way. It's not funny what he did to fashion, it's hideous and borderline sinful and offensive because his aesthetic shifted everyone else's. Everyone wanted to be cool, so everyone started making things as ugly as possible, as big as possible. And soon we had every single editorial page filled with tasteless piles of clothes thrown on a questionable model, page after page after page of ridiculously expensive yet utterly disgusting, unmemorable and below mediocre clothes. This decade destroyed everything that once used to be good about fashion and now hopefully, we're going to slowly recover from this shock of rotted ugliness, keep some of the positive progress we managed to make and move. the f*ck. on. from all the Hailey Baldwins, Demna Gvasalias and Collier Schorrs of the world on to something greater that will be worth memorising.
Best news I've heard all day, honestly. Now all we have to do is wait for him to leave Balenciaga and the balance will be restored and humanity will be saved.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

I felt this way 100% about Demna when I first saw Vetements and his work for Balenciaga, especially the garments like hoodies and t-shirts, his footwear like the Triple S and the crocs, and the infamous Ikea bag. Balenciaga was the ultimate standard for me in fashion because of what Nicolas created and also for its original creator, Cristobal.

I did learn more about Demna by reading and watching his interviews and learning about his past - his thought process. I don't agree with a lot (most of) of what he does creatively but it helped me understand more his point of view and voice. I'm not trying to defend him because you are valid in your feelings and opinions on Demna. The only thing I will say that he is not deliberately trying to destroy the legacy of Balenciaga or trying to manipulate how people consume luxury. I know how oblivious and foolish I may sound for saying that. However, I learned more about Demna and realized he mostly references people from his past from Georgia and moving with his family around Europe in the 90s and early 2000s. This unfortunately lends itself to really unremarkable pieces, like baggy button-down shirts on the runway, plain denim jeans, and large trainer shoes. He also tries to bring ordinary objects into the realm of luxury but it often ends up clumsy and almost comical.

I get why this infuriates those of us who revere the house of Balenciaga and the history of Parisian fashion. I used to hate Demna in a way and get angry at his collections even. It was later that I decided to question how I feel and that lead me to try lending an ear to what Demna has to say. Again, I am not trying to be defensive, just saying that now I don't believe he has a dark or devious motive. He is sincere in what he does at Balenciaga, even if it is often kitsch and hypebeasts treat the brand like streetwear without knowing its history in fashion.

I will probably regret making this post because my heart is actually pounding from nervousness (anticipating huge backlash). I am just responding and having a conversation, not looking for a confrontation. One of the reasons I don't engage in forums that much.

Demna Gvasalia on Authenticity, Irony and Resistance

Demna Gvasalia on the state of contemporary youth

Don't worry. I'm not going to attack you! I've read that piece as well as a really intelligently written and favorable one by Robin Givhan of the Washington Post.

I would agree if he were in fact taking the ordinary and making it luxurious, but he isn't.

This isn't Marc Jacobs's grunge collection where he remade thrift store polyester blouses in silk.

The fabrics are crap. The clothes are made like crap. And then they charge an arm and a leg for it. It's offensive and disgraceful and it has lowered the industry and market's standards in almost every way.

I agree, I don't think it came from a place of ill will or carelessness. But the damage is done.

Fashion without integrity is a just S#!* making machine.

 

[Ruito]

I know I'm alone in here, but I think his Balenciaga collections are genius!