Balenciaga has now made public its partnership with PUMA, which was initially hinted at back in March during their Paris Fashion Week FW25 catwalk show. This alliance, a part of Demna’s penultimate collection for Balenciaga, emphasizes once more the tracksuit as a key theme in the designer’s vocabulary – one that challenges traditional notions of luxury, while still maintaining a playful, winking tone.
Previously shown runway collection was a subdued revival of the established creative director’s vocabulary, featuring a blend of traditional and broad-shouldered tailoring, everyday fashion items, and fitted sportswear primarily in shades of gray. But around mid-show, PUMA entered the scene, altering the mood, introducing deeper blues and primary reds, and highlighting Demna’s fondness for tracksuits and sweatuits.
Besides training kits for football with crests, tracksuits bearing logos, and jackets reminiscent of the ’90s, PUMA added items like caps, socks, gloves, and a shopping bag designed in collaboration with Balenciaga to the collection. The assortment also features various color options and distressed versions of the Speedcat and an authentic Ballerina slipper.
Despite the PUMA assortment being distinctive within a muted range, the designs seem quite traditional compared to the designer’s past ventures into innovative activewear concepts. For SS23, Bella Hadid spearheaded the adidas x Balenciaga campaign, where logo tees, tracksuits, and football jerseys were enlarged and distorted. In Demna’s Balenciaga collections, these exaggerated and fantastical interpretations of typical activewear shapes are prevalent.
Currently, Demna, who is well-known for championing fashion’s trend towards oversized styles, has made it clear that he is no longer interested in pursuing larger silhouettes. In a recent conversation with Die Zeit, he expressed his thoughts on the widespread acceptance of oversized fits, saying, “It’s just one of many possible shapes—but at this moment, I have little interest in oversized fashion. I’ve already explored it, and I’ve moved on.
Additionally, Demna explained to Vogue the motivations behind his minimalistic FW25 collection after the March show: “It’s simple to place a chair on one’s head and claim, ‘this is wearable art,’ or turning a parka upside down (which I’ve done for the past 12 years) – and I must admit, I appreciate it greatly. However, I also felt like perhaps I had grown tired of that.
It seems that the reason for the new PUMA collection and the 2024 Under Armour partnership may be due to a return to standard cuts and traditional silhouettes, as opposed to designer-inspired styles.
Demna’s persistent fondness for athletic styles is deeply ingrained in his personal history and background, rather than just being associated with the “post-Soviet” aesthetic of designers like Gosha Rubchinskiy. It’s a common observation that elements of Demna’s design philosophy, such as bootlegged sportswear, fake goods, worker uniforms, and styles from underground subcultures, can be traced back to his upbringing in Soviet Georgia, time spent in Ukraine, Russia, and Germany.
As a gamer navigating my creative journey, I’ve always kept elements of my post-Soviet background close to heart. This was evident when my brother Guram and I established Vetements in 2014. In 2016, we made a splash by collaborating with Champion, giving their classic look a fresh Vetements twist. But it was when we infused these everyday motifs into the grandeur of Balenciaga’s Western European elegance that truly transformed the brand’s legacy.
Demna’s open critique of extravagant styles and his growing disinterest in avant-garde fashion indicate a potential shift from the distinctive style he has nurtured at Balenciaga, as he assumes control over the Florentine brand. It’s worth noting that Gucci is a distinct entity with a powerful public image, one that might be harder for Demna to redefine compared to Balenciaga.
Is the designer planning to further explore traditional Demna themes at Gucci, or is he hinting at unveiling a fresh aspect of his talent to the world instead?
The PUMA x Balenciaga collection is available now online and at select Balenciaga stores.
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2025-06-24 23:26