On Thursday evening Balenciaga presented its spring 2025 collection on display at Shanghai Pudong Art Museum. It rained all night, creating a gloomy atmosphere that seemed to reflect the difficulties the brand had faced recently.

The scandal of Balenciaga's 2022 advertising campaign has tarnished the brand's image, and many fans have moved away from its former aesthetic, known as "Demna-isms".

Despite the difficulties, Balenciaga has assembled an impressive guest list, including actresses Sophie Marceau and Michelle Yeoh. The front rows were protected from the rain by black umbrellas, which created a futuristic effect.

The Balenciaga Spring 2025 show has become a symbol of the brand's resilience in the face of adversity.

The opening of the show was accompanied by monochrome formal clothes created in the corporate style of Demna's new ego. Blazers with massive shoulders and elongated sleeves were combined with spacious trousers. The images were complemented by simple black leather bags with the Balenciaga logo, gray raincoats and green coats, some of which were unbuttoned to show off bulky shoes on almost 18-centimeter platforms. The gait of the models showed how "comfortable" these shoes were.

At first glance, it seemed that Demna remained true to his promise to Vogue after the scandalous images of his brand: "I will be more mature and serious in everything that I release as an idea or image. I decided to return to my roots in fashion, as well as to the roots of Balenciaga, which makes high-quality clothes, and does not focus on outrageous."

However, as the show progressed, it became clear that Demna had not completely abandoned his tendency to provocation.

In the following images, massive silhouettes and gloomy colors were combined with elements of punk aesthetics, such as chain jewelry and torn details. The finale of the show was a real explosion of color and textures, with models dressed in bright costumes made of sequins and feathers.

Despite the modern spirit of the collection, echoes of old, daring design solutions flashed through the show. Some models carried shoe boxes turned into functional clutches. Others sported high-top sneakers with a six-inch platform, and some even combined both of these ideas.

These elements added playfulness and audacity to the show, recalling Demna's unique style.

The unusual choice of accessories highlighted the designer's non-standard approach to fashion and his unwillingness to follow template solutions. Such a move undoubtedly attracted the attention of the public and made them talk about the collection long after the end of the show.

Do you want to keep up to date with the main events in the fashion industry and brand news?