If you think that fashion editorials have replaced traditional fashion shows as a forward-thinking idea, Demna Gvasalia’s interpretation yesterday is the best rebuttal.
Starting from April, in collaboration with the well-known game developer Unreal Games, Balenciaga’s creative director Demna Gvasalia released the FW21 collection in the form of a free online game, featuring a total of 50 women’s and men’s looks. The game, titled “Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow,” is set in a world where humans embark on a journey from a collapsing world, step by step overcoming challenges, aiming to create an atmosphere reflecting the current real world. Since introducing the astonishing apocalyptic theme in March, many have referred to him as a “prophet,” but he emphasizes that fashion is a reflection of real life. Having experienced a paradigm shift in worldview in March, he now shares that the world is no longer dark, but filled with hope, positive energy, and a determination to emerge from the shadows, with the concept of the video game inspired by a group of young pro-gamers.
Demna Gavsalia pointed out that young people’s love for games reflects their ability to find their own way out in such a predicament and find the spiritual pillar in their hearts. What’s even more surprising is that he rarely mentioned his mental and psychological condition, “I am part of this (youth) movement. I have experienced trauma and have overcome difficulties through various life coaching courses and healing. I also meditate. We need to stay calm and learn to let go. Say goodbye to the past world. Let go and let everything become the past, many new things have emerged.” Demna Gvasalia shared.
The iconic Balenciaga elements such as worn-out clothing, patchwork, and oversized silhouettes can still be found in this collection, along with the “BLCNG” and “NASA” icons inspired by the gaming background, and the “FREE” slogan that echoes the theme. The most eye-catching piece must be the medieval armor shoes, with high-heeled boots for women and flat boots for men. To match the game setting, Demna Gvasalia even visited a craftsman specializing in medieval armor in southern France, making it easier for the game development team to design the appearance of game characters. Yes, these exaggerated boots, more so than platform Crocs, studded Zen Sneakers, and toe-sock Sneakers, are part of the ready-to-wear collection. Balenciaga’s version is made of lightweight leather, limited edition, and very expensive.
Isn’t this getting more and more bizarre? Regardless of how the clothing design is, what is certain is that this presentation will make you even more curious, thanks to Demna Gvasalia’s dedication. With over half a year of planning, “Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow” was launched with the aim of breaking the record for the highest game capacity in history. This is not just talk, as all the character appearances in the video game were selected by Demna Gvasalia from dozens of models using traditional casting methods, and then the Unreal Engine team spent hundreds of hours using 3D scanning technology and post-production to embed the models into the game. Even the seemingly unusual poses were designed by Demna Gvasalia based on high fashion shows. Finally, it was revealed by Tim Blanks that Demna even handwrote information on ancient parchment paper for the invitations, and brought in scent artist Sissel Tolaas, who can create 6,763 different scents to realistically capture human emotions, to create a scent for the fashion show, which was sprayed on the invitations, allowing recipients to immediately feel the atmosphere of this presentation as soon as they opened the invitation.
This level of detail is enough to make you rethink Balenciaga or Demna Gvasalia, right?
