Demna
 | |
| Also known as | Demna Gvasalia[1][2] |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 March 1981[3][4] |
| Birthplace | Sukhumi, Georgia[3][1] |
| Nationality | Georgian[5] |
| Occupation | Fashion designer and creative director[5][2] |
| Known for | Vetements; creative direction of Balenciaga and Gucci[5][2] |
| Years active | 2009–present[1][5][2] |
Demna (born 25 March 1981), also known as Demna Gvasalia, is a Georgian fashion designer. He co-founded the fashion collective Vetements, served as artistic director of Balenciaga from 2015 to 2025, and became creative director of Gucci in 2025.[3][4] He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and previously worked at Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton.[5][2]
Early life and education
Demna earned a bachelor's degree in international economic relations from the Sokhumi branch of Tbilisi State University in 2001. That year he also showed an amateur collection of mixed womenswear and menswear in Tbilisi. He studied in the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp from 2002 to 2006.[3] Classmates recalled him as one of the least experienced students in his first-year class. His student work involved hand sewing and direct experimentation with collected fabrics, while his tutors observed early signs of deconstruction and fluidity.[1]
Fashion career
After working briefly under Walter Van Beirendonck and presenting a womenswear collection at Tokyo Fashion Week that was not brought to market, Demna joined Maison Margiela in 2009. He moved to Louis Vuitton in 2012, where he worked on women's ready-to-wear.[1]
In 2014, Demna co-founded Vetements with his brother Guram Gvasalia. The label was organized as a collective of designers, and Demna served as its head designer and spokesperson. After three seasons, Vetements was nominated for the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. Demna stepped down from Vetements in 2019.[5][2]
Demna was announced as Balenciaga's artistic director in October 2015, and his first collection for the house was presented at Paris Fashion Week in March 2016.[5] During his tenure, Balenciaga presented its first couture collection in decades in July 2021.[1][5] Demna remained at Balenciaga until 2025, when he became creative director of Gucci. His runway debut for Gucci took place in February 2026.[5][2]
Design approach
Demna's design process has been described as beginning with direct manipulation of fabrics and garments rather than with completed mood boards or sketches. Published accounts associate his work with deconstruction, fluidity, reworked proportions, and the combination of streetwear references with high-fashion construction.[1][5] At Balenciaga, this process was described as involving secondhand garments and fabric rolls, with sleeves or collars unstitched and grafted onto pieces under construction.[1]
Awards and recognition
Demna was named International Ready-to-Wear Designer of the Year at the Fashion Awards in 2016 and received the CFDA International Award in 2017 for his work at Vetements and Balenciaga. He was named Accessories Designer of the Year at the Fashion Awards in 2018 and received the Creative Spirit Award from the Pratt Institute in 2019. In 2021, he received the Order of Honour from the president of Georgia and was named International Women's Designer of the Year at the CFDA Fashion Awards; the British Fashion Council also named him a Leader of Change in Creativity. He was included in the Time 100 in 2022.[5][2]
See also
- Balenciaga
- Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
- Malenciaga Jersey
- Vetements Zero Dollars
- Fortnite Balenciaga
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Gino Delmas and Thibaud Barle. "Demna Gvasalia: his true story". L'Étiquette. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Demna Gvasalia". SHOWstudio. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Curriculum vitae Demna Gvasalia". SHOW 2006. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 2025-03-13. "Demna named new creative director of Gucci". ANSA. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 "Demna | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2026-09-23.