The Georgian-born designer Demna drew from his own experience as a refugee.
byBalenciaga opened its fall 2022 with a statement from creative director Demna, formerly known as Demna Gvasalia, which addressed the attacks on Ukraine and his own personal experience as a refugee from his native country of Georgia. “The war in Ukraine has triggered the pain of a past trauma I have carried in me since 1993, when the same thing happened in my home country and I became a forever refugee,” he wrote.
There’s something to be said about the way in which brands use their voice during times like these: pre-show, Balenciaga wiped its Instagram feed, save the sole image of the Ukrainian flag. As show attendees, including Kim Kardashian—who wore yellow Balenciaga logo tape head-to-toe—took their seats, the lights went on to reveal a blustery snow squall happening from behind a glass wall. It was operatic and poetic in form and escapist all at once.
Models traipsed through the snow—their hair, pants, dresses, and whatever other accessories they carried blowing behind them from the sheer force of the wind. It was an aesthetic show of resistance for sure, both figuratively and literally; a large part of the collection was done in somber yet powerful tones of all-black.