Balenciaga Spring Summer 2025 “The Conformist Collection”. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Balenciaga.

Remember when Balenciaga was all about BDSM-themed children’s ads and Frankenstein-esque collections made from old eBay t-shirts and underwear? Well, it seems those days are behind us. For Spring Summer 2025, Demna Gvasalia, creative director, has done the unthinkable: he’s gone wearable. Forget the controversy-courting stunts or the fashion posturing—this time around, Demna has settled on what you might call “clothes people would actually wear.” But make no mistake, this wasn’t some spontaneous epiphany about the virtues of simplicity. The real puppeteer here is Kering, Balenciaga’s parent company, who seems to have reined in Demna’s creative chaos in favor of something that would, well, sell.

It’s almost jarring to see a Balenciaga collection without the shock value. Held in a dimly lit room, with editors and celebrities, from Nicole Kidman to Katy Perry, sitting along a polished dining table, the show opened with lingerie, marking the brand’s attempt to catch onto one of Italian spring’s biggest trends. Bras, teddies, and garters embroidered on flesh-colored body stockings graced the runway. And that’s perhaps the biggest surprise: there was nothing surprising. Balenciaga has seemingly embraced marketability, with Demna swapping controversy for commerce.

One can’t help but see the influence of Kering in this pivot. This shift to more “approachable” fashion isn’t exactly coming from a burst of sudden inspiration; it’s coming from a nudge (or more likely, a shove) from above. Balenciaga’s newfound focus on the Italian market, the heart of Kering’s empire, demands clothing that won’t just get attention on the runway but will actually get sold in stores. So what did we see? Bras, leather bustiers, grannies panties, oversized jackets, and hip-slung jeans—pieces that people can understand, if not exactly be inspired by.

The collection’s silhouette played with volume, particularly in the “cocoon” shape, which Demna applied to cropped puffers and bombers, teamed with jeans hanging precariously on jutting hip bones. The jeans themselves were oversized and stiffly starched, standing up on their own like an art project that forgot it’s supposed to be clothing. But these aren’t bold innovations; they’re tame and toned down, a diluted version of Balenciaga’s usual edge.

In the menswear, we got a “Medici collar from the 17th century” integrated as a corset in jackets. This was the closest thing to a concept piece, but even here, it felt more like an attempt to add a sense of cleverness to otherwise wearable jackets and shirts. Everything was tailored to fit into the mold of something that will appeal to the masses—not too edgy, not too out there, just enough to keep the Balenciaga name alive on the racks of stores worldwide.

There is an undeniable humor in the about-face of it all. After years of pushing the boundaries of taste and commercial viability, from BDSM-laced campaigns to tops sewn together out of what might as well have been the contents of your online thrift store cart, this feels like a sudden pivot to “play it safe.” But maybe that’s the point. Perhaps the most rebellious thing Demna could do in a landscape where everyone expects rebellion is to embrace conformity.

But let’s not overanalyze: it’s clear this collection is about appeasing Kering’s commercial strategy. If the days of Demna’s edge-pushing, taste-questioning, conceptual fashion are gone, it’s not because he ran out of ideas. It’s because the business realities of fashion caught up to him. With Kering keeping a watchful eye on the bottom line, it seems Balenciaga is turning a new leaf—or more accurately, it’s turning into the kind of brand that wants to sell clothes rather than bring BDSM Pigalle stores to the luxury.

For those waiting for the return of chaotic, shock-and-awe Balenciaga: don’t hold your breath. But for everyone else who just wants to buy an oversized jacket, or some “cocoon” dress, which can actually be worn for the occasion, congratulations—this season’s for you.

See All Looks Balenciaga Spring Summer 2025