Back in March, Demna Gvasalia sparked speculation about a mass creative exodus to Zurich. The then-Paris-based head designer of Vetements — who also happens to helm a rather important Parisian house called Balenciaga — was feeling disenchanted by the French capital’s glossy veneer (and high taxes). Just last week, Gvasalia gave the system another rattle by pronouncing dead the Eastern European aesthetic that largely propelled Vetements’s dizzying success. In fact he’s totally done with anything that might be called “underground.”
We’ll have to wait until the end of the month to see what the anti-establishment brand looks like sans oversized hoodies. But don’t bother checking for it on the runways. This morning, Gvasalia claimed the brand is finished with fashion shows. Like, forever.
“We are not going to show in the classical system anymore,” Gvasalia told Vogue. “I got bored. I think it needs to enter a new chapter. Fashion shows are not the best tool. We did the show in the sex club, the restaurant, the church. We brought forward the season, we showed men’s and women’s together. It’s become repetitive and exhausting. We will do something when there’s the time and the need for it. It will be more like a surprise.”
Vetements will still produce seasonal collections, hosting viewings in the brand’s Paris showroom. The next one will be soundtracked by “a young band from Vienna.” Gvasalia’s reason for forgoing the runway is one many emerging (and some established) brands have cited in recent seasons: the exorbitant cost of staging a fashion show. “You cannot put on a show for less than 25,000 euros. That one cost in the region of 100,000 euros, with the venue,” he said. “And there are brands now putting on shows around the world that cost millions. I think it’s a complete waste.” He’s also bummed out by guests who watch shows with their iPhones instead of their eyes.
What else can we glean from Gvasalia’s crystal ball? While the perceptive designer appears thoroughly invigorated by the unsullied Swiss air, he’s already eyeing up an even more surprising hot spot for young innovators. “I would like to work with people in Silicon Valley,” Gvasalia said. “I want to work with concepts. It’s high time for all that, in 2017. There is a project I am working on for next year. I don’t know when it will be ready, but when it is, we will have an event.” Start pressing your subversive #officecore separates.
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley
Photography Mitchell Sams