"I needed to integrate a lot of Demna codes into this house," Demna said backstage at his final haute couture show for Balenciaga on July 9, on Avenue George-V in Paris. At the same time, he announced that his next chapter in fashion would be different and probably less conceptual. After a decade at the creative helm of the brand, blending its couture flair with his own personal story, the designer joined Gucci, the historic flagship of the Kering group. He will unveil his first creations for the Italian label in Milan this September, ahead of his inaugural runway show in February 2026.

The public first discovered the designer's name in 2014, when he became the spokesperson for the collective brand Vetements, which he founded with his brother Guram and several former members of the Margiela studio. Exaggerated shoulders, overly long sleeves and belts, dresses with kitsch prints… Models were recruited through impromptu street castings; the shows were staged in unexpected venues in Paris, such as Le Dépôt, a gay club in the Marais, or Le Président, a Chinese restaurant in Belleville. The details struck a chord: ankle boots with Bic lighter heels, T-shirts emblazoned with the DHL logo, thigh-high boots reaching up to the hips. The press described the collective as "radical."

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