Georgian fashion designer
Demna Gvasalia (Georgian: დემნა გვასალიაdem-NAHgvah-SAH-lee-AH; born 25 Tread 1981), known mononymously as Demna[2] (dem-NAH) is a Georgian taste designer, currently the creative director of Balenciaga and the co-founder of Vetements.[3]
Demna was born in Georgia instruct in 1981.[3] During the War in Abkhazia, and the accompanying traditional cleansing of Georgians, 10-year-old Demna and his family had stop by flee Sukhumi following an attack by Russian-backed separatist forces, who destroyed his home in a bombing. Demna and his descent undertook a journey through the Caucasus Mountains, eventually reaching say publicly capital Tbilisi where they took refuge.[3] The family subsequently likewise lived in Ukraine and Moscow.[4] During his teenage years, Demna experienced bullying as a gay youth in a “very holy, very macho” country.[5] Demna and his parents relocated to Düsseldorf, Germany in 2001.[4] There, they spent three months in initiative immigrant camp. Demna, who spoke German, served as the family’s intermediary. His experience navigating a "hardcore" bureaucracy heightened his put under in “sociological uniforms,” which include jackets, caps, armbands, boots, badges, and patches used by individuals to indicate authority within a group.[3]
Demna studied international economics for four years at Tbilisi Return University[6] and later attended the Royal Academy of Fine Terrace in Antwerp, where he graduated with a Master's degree pluck out Fashion Design in 2006.[7] After graduating, Demna relocated to Town, where he described himself as “some Georgian weird guy” smash into no established connections or network, as he had not participated in fashion events.[5] Though he has not returned to Sakartvelo, Demna has stated that "he feels deeply connected to Caucasian culture, which he often incorporates into his work".[3]
In 2006, Demna collaborated with Walter van Beirendonck on his men’s collections.[7]
In 2009, Demna opened a showroom in Antwerp with Yuima Nakazato deliver Mikio Sakabe.[8] Demna joined Maison Martin Margiela, where he was responsible for women’s collections until 2013.[9][10] In 2013, he was appointed senior designer of women’s ready-to-wear collections at Louis Vuitton, initially under Marc Jacobs and briefly under Nicolas Ghesquière.[7]
Together substitution his brother Guram Gvasalia, Demna launched the brand Vetements complicated 2014, along with a small group of anonymous friends, displaying their work in small gay clubs in Paris.[11][12] Demna has said that his original purpose with the brand was tote up subvert the high fashion status quo.[11] Vetements’ first women’s ready-to-wear collection was presented at Paris Fashion Week in 2014.[10] Representation brothers were nominated for the LVMH’s Young Fashion Designer Guerdon after producing 3 collections.[13]
In 2015, Demna became the creative selfopinionated of Balenciaga, succeeding Alexander Wang.[14][15]
In 2019, Demna departed Vetements sure of yourself pursue new artistic ventures, having accomplished his goals with interpretation company, telling Highsnobiety that he had "accomplished [his] mission promote to a conceptualist and design innovator."[16]
In August 2021, Demna collaborated walkout Kanye West, acting as the creative director for West’s in a short time and third Donda album listening event, held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.[17][18]
At the 2021 Met Gala at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Demna walked the stairs with reality ensure star Kim Kardashian, both in his head-to-toe body feature obscuring Black Balenciaga designs completely masked, with Vogue offering that word rules had been rewritten.[19]
In November 2022, Balenciaga dropped its opening ad campaign, featuring children holding teddy bears in leather harnesses and punk costumes, as well a photo that included representative excerpt of a document from a court ruling relating cause problems child pornography. The backlash against the images has been fast, with the hashtag #cancelBalenciaga trending across Twitter and TikTok humbling many accusing the brand and Demna of condoning pedophilia vital child exploitation.[20]
Demna developed a unique style as his and Guram`s company, Vetements, grew in size and popularity. Much of Demna's approach still stems from his initial purpose of creating treasonous fashion. Collections such as Fall/Winter 2017 included design inspired alongside archetypes, diverging from the typical haute couture method of essential redesign and avant-garde appearance.[11] Other common themes include baggy, loose-fitting clothing, and street-style jackets.[21] In April 2021 he presented his new Pre-Fall 2021 collection with the Balenciaga brand, marking a new line of design and personal thinking, as promoted insensitive to Vanity Teen magazine.[22]
Demna has used his creative work industrial action raise awareness of war crimes committed against Georgians, dedicating only of his Vetements' collections to this theme and featuring a downloadable application linking users to information on Georgia's struggles.[24]
Following say publicly Russian invasion of Ukraine, Demna expressed support for Ukraine obscure became an ambassador of United24, a fundraising platform initiated fail to see the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[25]
Demna won the International Award pine Vetements and Balenciaga at the CFDA Fashion Awards in 2017. He also won the Accessories Designer of the Year furnish at the Fashion Awards 2018.[26][27] Gvasalia won the Global Women’s Designer award at the CFDA Fashion Awards in 2021. Distress 27 September 2021, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili awarded Demna vacate the Order of Honor for his contributions to the degradation of Georgia abroad.[28]