DEMNA GVASALIA
As the creative director of Balenciaga, the Georgian designer crafts unwearable clothes that everyone covets. How does he do it?
Don’t say “Demna Gvasalia.” Just say “Demna,” casually, as if you know him well. And indeed, you do. For months, the fashion world has been buzzing about him, with each event and stunt causing a stir. In July in Paris, Demna delivered a grandiose haute couture show for Balenciaga, the first since 1967. In August, in Atlanta, he staged Kanye West’s epic album release show for « Donda. » In September, in New York, he made headlines by dressing Kim Kardashian in a black spandex suit at the Met Gala. In October, back in Paris, he unveiled his new collection through a special episode of The Simpsons dedicated to Balenciaga. What will Demna do in November? And December? Everyone is eagerly waiting.
Who is this man? How does he work? What’s behind his tremendous success, both critically and commercially? Most importantly, what is the essence of his genius? Is he a marketing savant pulling all the right strings or a visionary contemporary artist perfectly in tune with the times? Is he on a mission, as one close associate suggests, to “democratize fashion,” even if not its prices? Or is his goal, as another claims, to “radically change people’s silhouettes”? So many questions, yet one thing is clear: whatever you think of his clothes, Demna Gvasalia is fascinating. Sorry, Demna is fascinating.
FROM ANTWERP TO PARIS
This story, his story with fashion, begins in Belgium in September 2003. The Georgian enters the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, renowned for producing talents like Dries Van Noten, Martin Margiela, and Raf Simons. He’s the youngest of the 46 first-year students and one of the least experienced. At 21, Gvasalia had never made fashion or clothing before. His personal style? Not much. “I just remember he wore a lot of black, oversized clothes, mostly second-hand,” recalls Helena Lumelsky, a close friend at the time. Antwerp’s program is known for its difficulty and rigor. Out of about forty first-year students, often only ten remain to graduate four years later. However, camaraderie quickly forms in Gvasalia’s class. “We supported each other,” remembers Arienne Birchler, another close friend. “We all had different profiles, our personalities were complementary, making the group special.” A group of studious, dedicated friends emerges. “We lived for our studies 24/7. In the evenings, we often ate together among our drawing boards. It’s funny, I still see Demna teaching us to fold khinkali dumplings and cook other Georgian recipes…”
In class, Gvasalia’s work already stands out. While others use machines, he prefers hand-sewing. Instinctively, he cuts, assembles, and stitches. “Whenever possible, Demna skipped the mood boards and sketches,” explains Helena Lumelski. “He made direct fabric experiments with whatever materials he had. Only afterward did he find inspirations to rationalize his work. The professors let him because the results were always impressive.” The Gvasalia touch, which will later define Vêtements and Balenciaga, begins to appear under the eyes of his friends and teachers. “His clothes were structured, with interesting volumes,” says his fourth-year design professor, the legendary Linda Loppa. “And there was already that deconstruction and fluidity unique to him…” Demna Gvasalia is ready for the fashion world.
In 2009, after a few months working for his former professor Walter Van Beirendonck and presenting an unreleased women’s collection at Tokyo Fashion Week, Gvasalia joins Martin Margiela. There, he meets future loyal collaborators like makeup artist Inge Grognard, photographer Mark Borthwick, and his assistant Martina Tiefenthaler, who is still with him at Balenciaga. In 2012, he moves to Louis Vuitton, taking charge of tailoring. “He wasn’t well-known then, but you could feel he had a strong ego and decisive opinions,” recalls a studio assistant. However, the brand’s artistic director, Marc Jacobs, is nearing the end of his tenure, more focused on his departure than re-evaluating his approach. Gvasalia’s introverted nature and occasional aloofness towards colleagues don’t help. “Demna had a hard time finding his place in the studio,” politely summarizes Julie de Libran, Marc Jacobs’ right hand at the time. Nicolas Ghesquière’s arrival at Vuitton doesn’t improve his situation. Gvasalia later admits: “We hated our jobs. We decided to start a project that would let us create the collections we liked.”
FROM PARIS TO ZURICH
That « we » refers to a small group of creators, mostly uprooted, driven by a desire for a different fashion. Alongside Demna and his brother Guram, about six of them, mostly still under contract with fashion houses, give life to Vêtements on December 12, 2013. More than a brand, they are an anonymous, artisanal collective. Under Gvasalia’s leadership, they scour thrift shops and military surplus stores, reworking pieces according to their tastes to dress their friends. Near Rue Poissonnière, the Georgian’s apartment serves as their studio. Zoé Michel, a journalist for Paris Première’s « La Mode La Mode La Mode, » recalls the first feature on the brand, on the eve of their debut show: “They were bustling in every corner, with looks hastily printed and taped to the walls. It was like a student collection, but much more precise.” Photographer Pierre-Ange Carlotti, stylist Lotta Volkova, and DJ Clara 3000 are there, as always. Each night, the friends toast in local bars. “Clara always found an obscure club, often African ones in Château d’Eau, to keep the party going,” recalls one nocturnal member of the group. “The night often ended at Demna’s place.”
In March 2015, their second show at Le Dépôt, a famous gay club in the Marais, marks a turning point. Firefighter and prison guard uniforms, generous volumes and exaggerated shoulders, unknown models, and an unusual venue: under the gaze of Jared Leto, Kanye West, and Anna Wintour, Demna Gvasalia makes his mark. “There was an incredible energy; they made everyone else look outdated almost immediately,” recalls journalist Loïc Prigent.
Success comes swiftly. Consumed by work, Demna spends his days in the brand’s new studio on Rue de Maubeuge in Paris’s 9th arrondissement. “It was in a mezzanine with a room at the entrance and another underground,” recalls Nicoleta Iliescu, who assisted the Gvasalia brothers from early 2015. “There was always music, rock, R’n’B, even Britney Spears.” The atmosphere is relaxed but intense, with workdays often starting at 9 a.m. and ending late into the night, from Monday to Saturday. Gvasalia returns to his Antwerp creative methods. “It often started as a joke: ‘Imagine if we did this! It would be crazy!’ Then someone would develop the idea and take it further. Everything was spontaneous and interactive, never done by email,” adds Iliescu. The famous DHL t-shirt, high-heeled shoes with lighter heels, and a western ensemble with American football shoulder pads emerged from these countless discussions.
Kanye West is captivated by what he sees. Invited to Dior’s Fall-Winter 2015 ready-to-wear show in March, he arrives at the Louvre’s Cour Carrée in a black Vêtements hoodie. Later, at a press presentation, the American star shows up, finds a corner, and devours chicken wings while fashion editors marvel at the collection. “I remember Demna saying when his phone rang: ‘Oh my God, it’s Kanye!’” recalls a close associate. “They talked a lot, sometimes four hours a day; there was mutual admiration.”
FROM VÊTEMENTS TO BALENCIAGA
In 2015, after only three collections with Vêtements, Demna Gvasalia makes a major leap: he becomes the artistic director of Balenciaga. The stakes are high. He must prove he can extend his vision to a major house, while Balenciaga, struggling since Nicolas Ghesquière’s departure in 2012, entrusts its fate to an emerging designer. Despite the pressure, Gvasalia remains as relaxed as ever. “He immediately asked me to call him by his first name,” recalls a team member.
Gvasalia can rely on his expanding circle of collaborators. Lotta Volkova, Vêtements’ historic stylist, is there, as is Maud Escudie, his favorite fitting model, a climbing enthusiast, and true muse. His first menswear show focuses on tailoring and vintage-inspired pieces with reimagined proportions. The figure of the gopnik, a Russian petty thug in leather jackets, polyester tracksuits, and dress shoes, isn’t far off. “During rehearsals, with Russian music playing, Lotta and Demna were both very focused and very relaxed,” details a model. “You could see them experimenting and mixing Balenciaga’s codes with Demna’s universe.”
It’s a time of lightheartedness and freedom. The Georgian, who fled civil war and massacres in his homeland in the early 1990s at just over 10 years old, is in the system but still resists it. “