It’s a sad day for fans of the luxe-streetwear revolution: the Georgian enfant terrible of fashion Demna Gvasalia has announced he will be leaving Vetements. The counter-cultural brand announced in a statement to WWD over the weekend that Demna will be moving on from the house, but little more is known.
“Vetements has always been a collective of creative minds. We will continue to push the boundaries even further, respecting codes and the authentic values of the brand, and keep on supporting honest creativity and genuine talent,” said Guram Gvasalia, Demna’s brother, co-founder and Vetements CEO, in a statement. “What Demna has accomplished over the past few years represents a key chapter in the story of Vetements. We are very grateful to Demna for having contributed to the great momentum of the house.”
The news comes just ahead of Balenciaga’s spring/summer 20 show, which will take place in Paris later this month. While both Demna and Guram have declined to elaborate on their original statement, WWD reports that the Georgian designer will continue in his capacity as Balenciaga creative director, noting that Demna is stepping down from his role at Vetements to “pursue new ventures”.
“Demna’s talent and vision of fashion have been fundamental in the continued success of Vetements. He has made an outstanding contribution to the company’s legacy and in writing the codes of the brand,” the statement added.
“I started Vetements because I was bored of fashion and against all odds fashion did change once and forever since Vetements appeared and it also opened a new door for so many,” Demna said in his own statement. “So I feel that I have accomplished my mission of a conceptualist and design innovator at this exceptional brand and Vetements has matured into a company that can evolve its creative heritage into a new chapter on its own.” Since launching in 2014 Vetements has upended and reimagined the world of high fashion with a streetwear led approach that’s often led to many of its pieces becoming viral sensations. For its last presentation the brand sent moody models in trademark oversized hoodies and black metal inspired beauty looks down a makeshift runway in the middle of a Paris Maccies.
“This moment signifies a new era for Vetements, an era of growth and major expansion,” said Guram of today’s news. “New projects and surprise collaborations are to be revealed in the very near future.”
