Op-Ed: The Next Act of the Gvasalia Brothers Circus

Fashion, Features/Op-Ed

When in 2014 Vetements burst onto the scene with their updated take on Margiela, it billed itself as a collective in a nod to the master of self-effacement. Soon enough though, the Gvasalia brothers decided that it was their show after all – Demna became its creative figurehead and Guram its business one. Just a year later, the hype surrounding the brand landed Demna a creative director position at Balenciaga, where he quickly proceeded to ruin the its reputation as a storied couture house by pumping out logoed hoodies, logoed denim jackets, logoed sweaters, logoed sneakers, and even logoed tailoring. Soon enough, what with Demna getting all the spotlight, the two brothers fell out. In 2019 Demna left Vetements, and in 2021 he dropped his last name, without offering a compelling reason for doing so. (Could it be that the brothers’ hatred for each other ran so deep that it extended to Demna’s desire to drop his family name?) He also moved from Zurich to Geneva

StyleZeitgeist Podcast: The Apology by Demna with Amy Odell

Culture, Fashion

We dissect Demna’s first post-Balenciaga scandal interview in Vogue with the journalist Amy Odell. We discuss Demna’s mea culpas and the various statements he makes, dive into the mechanics of the interview, its possible causes and effects, Kering’s corporate strategy, and Vogue’s journalistic integrity. We also try to guess who actually conducted the interview. Odell…

Notes on a (Highsnobiety and Vetements) Scandal

Fashion, Features/Op-Ed

Last week the influential streetwear and youth culture news website Highsnobiety published an article claiming that Vetements has been losing clout with fashion forward consumers. It cited several store buyers, who wished to remain anonymous, about lukewarm customer demand that has led to slashing orders and putting the once hyped brand’s goods on sale, something that Vetements tried to avoid by keeping their production runs small. The buyers blamed the overinflated pricing on Vetements’ part, and consumers’ shifting their taste towards Balenciaga.