Sawt Falasteen - Demna bows out at Balenciaga with star-studded Paris catwalk show

The final collection from the 44-year-old -- who is switching to fellow Kering-owned brand Gucci -- was watched by celebrities from Nicole Kidman to Katy Perry.

The austere Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2025 collection featured female models in mostly black and white with exaggerated shoulders and padded hips, while men wore oversize jackets and trousers so long they gathered on the floor.

Other models included veteran French actress Isabelle Huppert and 1990s supermodel Eva Herzigova.

The designer from the war-torn region of Abkhazia in Georgia, who is known by a single name, made headlines at the Paris-based Spanish heritage brand during his decade in charge with his $2,000 "Ikea" bag and a $1,800 so-called "trash pouch".

He was also behind a much-criticised 2023 advertising campaign that appeared to reference child abuse, leading to a rebuke from billionaire Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, who watched Wednesday's show with his actress wife Salma Hayek.

Demna has won fans among millennials and Gen-Z stars with his streetwear-inspired style including Kardashian, a personal friend who wore one of his black shrouds to the Met Gala in 2021, as well as British pop sensation Charli XCX.

Fellow designer Franck Sorbier, who presented his own collection inspired by Inca culture on Wednesday, praised Demna's impact on Balenciaga in an interview with AFP.

"It's a brand that has managed to find its footing again, that forged its own path and succeeded in returning to the forefront of fashion —- which was far from guaranteed, given that there were many attempts along the way, and not all of them worked," Sorbier said backstage.

Demna appeared at the end of his presentation on Wednesday to acknowledge applause wearing a black hoodie and cap, paired with combat trousers.

- Gucci challenge -

Having multiplied sales at Balenciaga and made it edgy and mainstream, his next task of reviving the flagging fortunes of under-performing Gucci is seen as a huge challenge.

"His creative power is exactly what Gucci needs," Pinault said at the time.

Shares in luxury conglomerate Kering, which owns Balenciaga and Gucci, fell around 12 percent on the day of the announcement of his promotion in March and have sunk further since.

Some analysts have questioned whether Demna's recipe for success at Balenciaga -- which leant heavily on provocation and showmanship -- can be replicated at the more classic Italian house.

"He is iconoclast and ironic, which is good to attract attention toward a small brand like Balenciaga," Luca Solca, a luxury analyst at the Bernstein brokerage, wrote in March.

"However, we are not sure the strategy would work as well for a bigger brand," he added.

After Demna's farewell, Belgian designer Glenn Martens will find himself in the spotlight when he unveils his first collection for Maison Margiela, following his appointment in January to succeed British designer John Galliano.

Martens has big shoes to fill, with the house's last couture show under eccentric showman Galliano in January 2024 considered a huge success by critics.

The day will also see new collections unveiled by the Dutch duo Viktor & Rolf, Hong Kong's Robert Wun, French designer Franck Sorbier, Japan's Yuima Nakazato and the Lebanese designers Zuhair Murad and Elie Saab.

Tuesday saw a final show by Chanel under its in-house design studio, the fifth since former chief creative Virginie Viard's sudden departure in June 2024.

The collection featured a play-it-safe reinterpretation of its classic tweed looks in front of A-listers from Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz and Kirsten Dunst to singers Lorde and Gracie Abrams.

Newly installed chief creative Matthieu Blazy, a highly respected Franco-Belgian designer, will showcase his first ready-to-wear collection for Chanel in October in what will be one of the biggest events of the fashion calendar this year.

Haute Couture Week is dedicated to handcrafted, one-of-a-kind creations bought by celebrities and VIPs for red carpets, galas and other high-profile events.

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