Fashion

The search is over. Demna Gvasalia was announced as new creative director at Gucci, joining in a new round of designer shakeups and appointments this month.

Few designers have disrupted the traditional codes of luxury fashion as radically as Demna Gvasalia. A visionary with a penchant for subversion, Gvasalia’s career trajectory – from being the creative genius behind Vetements to being one of of the most influential designers in the industry – is a testament his innate ability to merge fashion and culture into a commercial success.

Born in Georgia in 1981, the millenial designer has amassed an impressive work experience under his belt. After studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, he gained industry experience at Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton, refining his understanding of craftsmanship and luxury house operations. In 2015, after his breakthrough designs at Vetements have catapulted his career into the mainstream, the Georgian designer a was appointed artistic director at Balenciaga. For a decade, Demna has transformed the French historic fashion house with his signature streetwear influences, high-concept tailoring, and avant-garde deconstruction. Under his tenure, Balenciaga’s runway shows were often disruptive and socially charged with a hint of dystopia, cementing him as the fashion zeitgeist.

Demna’s recent appointment at Gucci heralds an exciting new chapter for the Italian fashion power player after having undergone a few dramatic creative shifts and financial turmoils in the recent years. Demna will be filling in the shoes of Sabato De Sarno, who abruptly exited just after one year at the helm. During Sabato’s creative rein at Gucci,  he embraced Gucci’s heritage pared-down vibe – a stark departure from Alessandro Michele’s eclectic maximalism aesthetic and theatric storytelling.

This bold and daring move has left the industry buzzing as to what’s in store for Gucci next season.  Meanwhile, Demna is set to exit his role and his final act for Balenciaga will be a couture show in July.

– For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram

Images: xxx