ZE OTAVIO | DEMNA GVASALIA OF BALENCIAGA FOR THE WASHINGTON POST MAGAZINE
April 26, 2019 Zé Otavio
We’re absolutely loving this gorgeous portrait by ZE OTAVIO for The Washington Post of Designer Demna Gvasalia of Balenciaga. “Demna Gvasalia is not just refreshing @balenciaga, what historians once considered the greatest haute couture house of them all. He’s redefining luxury and recalibrating status. And in the process, he’s kicking up a storm of controversy and admiration. In today’s world, turning an admiring eye to the mundane and repackaging it is considered nothing short of societal heresy. Consumers were agitated by the $2,000 blue leather shopping tote he created that was modeled after a $1.49 Ikea plastic one. It was as though some social order had been upended. Was this — this gussied-up version of a utilitarian bag — what we are supposed to aspire to? Was Gvasalia mocking the poor or baiting gullible consumers? “It actually comes from my personal story. I used, a lot, the actual [Ikea] bag in my student time,” Gvasalia says. “I always thought how great would it be to have the same thing, but in a beautiful, luxurious bag.” Head to the link in our bio to read why fashion critic @robingivhan thinks the Balenciaga artistic director is changing what we consider fashion.” (📷: @zehotavio)
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