From Balenciaga to Gucci: Demna's New Chapter
Fashion is about to get a lot more interesting. Demna, best known for turning Balenciaga into one of the most talked-about brands in high fashion, has officially been named the new creative director of Gucci. This is a huge move, not just for Gucci, but for fashion in general. Demna is a designer who thrives on irony, cultural commentary, and straight-up challenging what luxury even means. So the question is: what will a Demna-led Gucci look like?
Balenciaga under Demna became something entirely unique, being both hated and loved—almost brutalist in its approach. Both the stores and the clothes had this cold, dystopian aesthetic. Oversized silhouettes, deconstructed tailoring, and an almost aggressive take on luxury made Balenciaga feel like a brand built for the end of the world. Even when he was playing with humor, like releasing the ultra-distressed sneakers or a $2,000 IKEA-style tote—there was always this harshness to the designs, a kind of raw, industrial quality. BFRND’s music which would often overlay the fashion shows added to the aesthetic even more, with robotic, and distorted soundscapes.
Gucci, on the other hand, has historically been maximalist, romantic, and rooted in nostalgia. Under Alessandro Michele, it was a vintage fever dream—Victorian dresses, clashing prints, and an explosion of accessories. An eclectic, maximalist dream. So seeing someone like Demna take the reins is honestly fascinating. Gucci is no stranger to reinvention, but how does a designer with such a stark, almost cynical take on fashion fit into a brand known for its opulence and excess? I guess time will tell….. Just kidding no it wont, we already might know!
Demna has already played with Gucci before. In Balenciaga’s Spring 2022 "Clones" collection, he introduced The Hacker Project, where he quite literally stole Gucci’s design ques and made them Balenciaga’s. We’re talking about Gucci bags spray painted with “This Is Not a Gucci Bag” and Balenciaga monograms slapped onto classic Gucci silhouettes. It was a total mind fuck, blurring the lines between authenticity, counterfeiting, and brand identity. He wasn’t just remixing luxury, he was questioning its entire foundation on the world stage, and it worked.
That’s what makes his move to Gucci so interesting. He’s already deconstructed the brand from the outside, but now he’s inside. Does he continue to strip Gucci apart, making it more brutalist and conceptual? Or does he take it in an entirely new direction?
What’s even wilder is that this shift at Gucci isn’t happening in a vacuum. The entire luxury fashion landscape is in flux. Donatella Versace, an icon in her own right, has also stepped down as creative director of Versace, signaling a broader changing of the guard in high fashion. With long-established brands now facing fresh leadership, the industry is entering a new phase, one where legacy names are being handed over to fresh designers who aren’t afraid to tear down the old rules. If Gucci under Demna is anything like Balenciaga, we’re in for an exciting ride.
Honestly, no one knows what happens next, and that’s what makes it so exciting. Will he take Gucci’s classic elements and turn them into something cold and industrial? Will he lean into his talent for parody and self-awareness, making Gucci an even bigger playground for fashion’s contradictions? Or will he surprise everyone and go in a softer, more unexpected direction?
One thing is for sure, this isn’t going to be a boring era for Gucci. Whether it’s loved or hated, Demna is about to shake things up in a major way.
If you want to see more of Balenciaga SS22 you can do so here
