When did fashion become so ugly?
So you want to talk about Demna Gvasalia? Why not? Everyone else is.
By Ana Brasil Image source: Balenciaga and Vetements
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It can take a young fashion designer many a lot of years before he gets anywhere. Vogue Italia’ s September issue comes with an annual supplement that highlights fresh talent-let’ s call it a‘ best of’ new fashion designers. In the last most recent one, Vogue Talents 2016, besides recent graduates from the best schools universities around the world, you’ ll find designers and brands that have five or six years of work behind them( see the Japanese brand The Reracs or JPlus eyewear if you don’ t believe us). So where do people get this idea that success comes with from a snap of the fingers? Don’ t blame it all on Instagram and Youtube stars. Point your finger rightfully at Demna Gvasalia.
There is a lot of discussion around Vetements, but whether you like it or not, it the brand was an overnight success. The brandIt was only established in 2014 but public awe quickly came from every corner. I-D called it“ the biggest worldwide fashion phenomenon on the Internet age” and Kanye tweeted“ I’ m going to steal Demna from Balenciaga”. Oh yeah, being appointed creative director of one of the biggest fashion houses in the world helped, of course. Only a year after launching Vetements, Demna became Balenciaga’ s creative director. Bam! Another smash hit.
There’ s an awkwardness in the root of his success that goes beyond his rise to fame. It starts with the shape and size of the garments and goes all the way through to the models he casts for his runway shows, which are held in Gothic churches and abandoned TV studios. Many wonder( and have written) about what it is Demna is trying to say to us as a society, but he seems to not be too bothered about being understood as long as every collection gets sold out.