‘Balenciaga by Demna’ retrospective in Paris honors decade of design

June 30, 2025

Running from June 26 - July 9, the exhibition is open to the public by registration. Image courtesy of Balenciaga

French fashion house Balenciaga is staging a museum-style activation as its creative director of 10 years departs.

“Balenciaga by Demna” opened June 26 at French luxury conglomerate Kering’s 40 rue de Sèvres headquarters in Paris. The new show marks both a farewell and a codification of works from Georgian fashion designer Denma Gvasalia, now known as Demna, placing his impact on the maison into perspective.

Decade of design
Capping a pivotal chapter for the brand, the exhibition arrives just weeks after Demna’s final ready-to-wear collection for Balenciaga from Spring 2026, called “Exactitudes.”

“Balenciaga by Demna” spans 101 exhibits drawn from 30 collections, selected by the designer to reflect the conceptual and aesthetic codes that have defined a tenure stretching from 2015 to 2025.

Kering unveils “Balenciaga by Demna” exhibition.
The “Balenciaga by Demna” exhibition is open from June 26 to July 9 at 40 Rue de Sèvres in Paris.
Book your visit at https://t.co/jKinR1lweh #Balenciaga #40Sevres pic.twitter.com/bRmd5rMmEL
— Kering (@KeringGroup) June 27, 2025

These include explorations of volume, proportion, trompe-l’œil effects, upcycling and reinterpretations of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s original design language, alongside studies of the “readymade” and examinations of contemporary dress codes.

Blurring the lines between fashion archive and contemporary art installation, pieces are shown on a mix of custom mounts, hyperrealistic mannequins, dry cleaner-style hangers and double-sided displays that juxtapose Demna’s designs with archival inspirations.

The exhibition includes a copy of an internship rejection letter from Balenciaga received by Demna eight years before his tenure as creative director. Image courtesy of Balenciaga

An audio guide voiced by the creative director accompanies half of the experience, providing commentary on the significance of the items on view, offering rare insight into the creative process behind some of the maison’s most headline-grabbing looks.

Additional pieces are treated as standalone artworks, created in collaboration with artists previously featured in Balenciaga’s Art in Stores program.

Retrospective from recent history
Notably, the closing look from the Summer 22 “Red Carpet” collection, originally worn by Demna, has been reinterpreted as a life-sized sculpture by American artist Mark Jenkins. Six accessories and shoes from across collections are also integrated into kinetic works from American artist Andrew J. Greene’s Timeless Symbols series.

Besides the physical installation, Balenciaga is releasing a limited-edition exhibition catalogue, designed in the format of a glossy fashion magazine.

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It combines imagery of the featured pieces with specially commissioned visuals, extending the exhibition’s reach and documentation beyond its July 9 end date. The exhibition is open to the public by registration at exposition.balenciaga.com.

Recent archival activations from peers such as French fashion houses Chanel (see story) and Dior (see story) have worked to generate global buzz.

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‘Balenciaga by Demna’ retrospective in Paris honors decade of design

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