Demna is heading to Gucci. Then known as Demna Gvasalia, he took over Balenciaga nearly ten years ago and propelled the brand firmly into both the fashion and pop culture headlines. Now he’s taking his talents to the famed Florentine house where we will be in charge of womenswear, menswear, and accessories at the brand. Gucci and Balenciaga are both owned by the luxury conglomerate Kering.
“I have always admired Demna’s creative approach, that is both unique and powerful,” said Stefano Cantino, the Chief Executive of Gucci, in a statement. “His ability to honor the iconic legacy of a brand while embracing a modern sensibility is extraordinary. With Gucci’s strengthened foundations as a springboard, Demna will lead the House towards renewed fashion authority and enduring cultural relevance.”
The news broke on Thursday, just over a month after it was announced that Sabato De Sarno—who took over Gucci after Alessandro Michele’s departure in 2022—was done with the brand. As of now, there is no information as to who will step into Demna’s old role at Balenciaga.
Michele and Demna at the Met Gala in 2023.
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Following his graduation from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2006, the Georgian designer led teams at Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton. In 2014, he launched Vetements with his brother, Guram Gvasalia, and a handful of other anonymous designers. The brand became an instant success, with its emphasis on streetwear and its position as the antithesis of Parisian luxury fashion. The brand held fashion shows in underground sex clubs and quickly found celebrity fans like Rihanna and Justin Bieber. In 2015, Demna became the creative director of Balenciaga, succeeding Alexander Wang. He departed Vetements in 2019, leaving his brother as the creative director.
Demna already has some experience with Gucci’s house codes. In 2021, he and Michele staged a show together where Demna “hacked” Gucci, adding the Balenciaga logo on some of Michele’s classic designs and asserting his signature tailoring into the looks.
A look from Demna’s “hacking” of Gucci in 2021.
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“Demna’s contribution to the industry, to Balenciaga, and to the group’s success has been tremendous,” said Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault. “His creative power is exactly what Gucci needs.”
During his decade at Balenciaga, Demna gained a lot of attention—both positive and negative. He is known for pushing boundaries, and turning the legacy house into a hypebeast North Star, releasing the excessively popular Triple S sneaker, logo-heavy streetwear, and luxurious normcore—turning Ikea bags and Lays chips into high fashion moments. His spring 2022 ready-to-wear collection was presented in the form of a 10-minute video starring the cast of The Simpsons and, in 2021, he accompanied Kim Kardashian to the Met Gala in a head-to-toe black jumpsuit that completely obscured Kardashian’s face. Though, sometimes his knack for controversy came at a cost. In 2022, he came under fire when an ad campaign involving child models juxtaposed with the brand’s edgy Holiday gift collection led to the hashtag #cancelBalenciaga. In response, many influencers took to burning their Hourglass bags, but Demna waited out the outrage and the fashion industry quickly moved on.
Demna and Kardashian at the 2021 Met Gala.
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However, in more recent years, Demna has sought to prove his design prowess goes well beyond mere provocation. In July 2021, Demna presented the first Balenciaga couture collection in over 50 years, where he paid homage to Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy by recreating a 1968 wedding dress created by the House’s namesake. He has continued to put out strong collections since, most recently for fall 2025 at Paris Fashion Week. The designer will show one final couture collection for Balenciaga in July before he officially departs for Gucci.
