PARIS — In a surprising move, Gucci has named Demna as its new artistic director, bringing in a fashion provocateur who has defined an era from within the creative ranks of its parent company, Kering, to fuel the next chapter of the brand.
Originally from Georgia, Demna has served as the creative director at Kering’s Balenciaga brand since 2015. There, his penchant for oversized, Goth-inflected sportswear merged with the house’s couture codes to spark a renaissance for the Parisian house.
Over the years, Demna has set the fashion agenda with bold, subversive propositions that sought to redefine luxury for a new era, from sculptural couture to bedazzled rubber clogs, as well as offering a unique perspective on post-internet culture. Demna has consistently infused Balenciaga’s collections and communications with dystopian, cheeky, and conversational statements that have both commented on—and exploited—the luxury industry’s convergence with mass media, consumerism, and art.
According to analyst estimates, Balenciaga’s sales nearly quadrupled in the first five years of Demna’s tenure, exceeding €1.5 billion by 2021. His final appearance for the brand will be at the haute couture show in July, after which he will officially begin his new position, senior Kering executives told a small gathering of fashion press at the end of Paris Fashion Week.
