If you were scrolling through your feed in 2025 and saw Kim Kardashian dressed like a 1950s Elizabeth Taylor while walking a runway in Paris, you weren't hallucinating. That was just the tip of the iceberg for the Balenciaga fashion show 2025 season. Honestly, 2025 was a weird, pivot-heavy year for the house. It started with towering platforms in the pouring rain of Shanghai and ended with a shocking "goodbye" that no one—not even the most seasoned fashion editors—saw coming quite so soon.
Demna, the man who made us all talk about trash bags as handbags and mud-splashed hoodies, finally took his bow. But he didn't go out with a bang or a stunt. He went out with a quiet, expensive whisper.
The Shanghai Spectacle: Skyscrapers and "Shoebox" Bags
Before we got to the teary-eyed finales in Paris, Balenciaga went to China. In May 2024, they staged the Spring 2025 show at the Museum of Art Pudong. It was peak Balenciaga. The weather was miserable—a total thunderstorm—but in Demna’s world, a dystopian downpour is just free set design.
Models trudged through the rain in what looked like 18-centimeter "Skyscraper" boots. They were massive. Basically, they looked like the Pudong high-rises but for your feet. The vibe was very "Blade Runner" meets high luxury.
What really got the internet talking, though, were the accessories. You might have seen the leather clutches that looked exactly like grey Balenciaga shoeboxes. Or the collaboration with Under Armour. It was a strange mix of "I just came from the gym" and "I’m wearing a $5,000 gown." This show proved that even when he’s being "commercial," Demna wants to make you look twice.
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Fall 2025: The "Urgent" Maze
By the time the Fall 2025 ready-to-wear show rolled around in March, things got claustrophobic. Instead of a massive stadium, the Balenciaga fashion show 2025 experience for Fall was a literal maze.
- The Vibe: Dark, narrow corridors.
- The Seating: Everyone was front row because the hallways were so tight the clothes literally brushed the guests' shoes.
- The Soundtrack: Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata playing over a booming bass.
It was intense. Demna called the clothes "standard," but "standard" in his language means a corporate suit with moth holes or a hoodie that’s actually inspired by a 1967 wedding dress. There was a weird "post-AI apocalypse" energy to the whole thing. It was less about the "viral meme" and more about the construction of the clothes themselves.
The Final Bow: Haute Couture Fall 2025
This is where things got real. In July 2025, during the Haute Couture week in Paris, the rumors finally solidified. This was Demna’s final show for Balenciaga before his move to Gucci.
He didn't use caution tape or mud pits this time. He used 300 kilometers of hand-tufted embroidery to make a suit that looked like corduroy but wasn't. He brought out the heavy hitters.
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Who was there?
- Kim Kardashian: She walked the runway in a "fake mink" coat and silk slip dress, dripping in real Lorraine Schwartz diamonds.
- Nicole Kidman: A house ambassador who looked on from the front row.
- Naomi Campbell: Reminding everyone why she’s the GOAT on the couture stage.
- Katy Perry: Making an appearance after her viral "topless in a fur coat" moment the year before.
The show felt like a love letter to Cristóbal Balenciaga, the founder. It was all about the "Methodology." No zippers, no seams, just volume. When Demna took his bow, he was visibly moved. It felt like the end of a decade-long fever dream that changed how we look at "ugly" fashion.
What Most People Get Wrong About 2025
A lot of people think Balenciaga in 2025 was just more of the same "trolling." But if you look closer, the irony was fading. The Balenciaga fashion show 2025 cycle was actually a return to form. By the time Pierpaolo Piccioli (formerly of Valentino) was announced as the successor, the house had already pivoted back to elegance.
The "trashy" aesthetic was being replaced by "neo-gazar" fabrics and sculptural leather. If you bought the platform sneakers, you were wearing a piece of history, but the real "new" Balenciaga was hidden in the tailoring of those oversized black coats.
How to Wear the 2025 Aesthetic (Without Looking Insane)
You don't need 18cm platforms to get the look. Here’s the basically-human version of the 2025 runway:
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- Oversized Tailoring: Get a blazer two sizes too big, but make sure the shoulders are sharp.
- Layered Tech: Mix a high-performance hoodie (like the Under Armour collab) with a formal skirt or trousers.
- Monochrome: Stick to black, grey, or "Balenciaga blue."
- The "Worn-In" Look: Wrinkles aren't the enemy; in 2025, they were a design choice.
Balenciaga’s 2025 was a roller coaster. It went from the rainy streets of Shanghai to a silent, white-glove couture salon in Paris. It taught us that fashion can be urgent, annoying, beautiful, and "standard" all at the same time.
If you're looking to track down pieces from these specific collections, focus on the Balenciaga x Under Armour drop for daily wear or the Le City bags that were re-released during this era. They’re the most "wearable" parts of a very experimental year. Keep an eye on the resale market for the "shoebox" clutches—they’re already becoming high-value collector items for those who love the Demna-era irony.
Next Steps for Fashion Enthusiasts:
Check out the archival footage of the Shanghai Spring 2025 show to see how the "Skyscraper" boots moved in real life. If you're interested in the technical side, look up the "neo-gazar" fabric details from Piccioli’s debut that followed Demna’s exit—it’s the future of the house’s texture.