Balenciaga Spring 2025 Aims for New Heights Under Shanghai's Downpour

On Thursday evening, rain washed over the dimly lit exterior of Shanghai’s Museum of Art Pudong, where Balenciaga had staged a runway for its Spring 2025 collection. The ill-fated setting felt indicative of the label’s current circumstances: over the last year and a half, the brand has grappled to save face under the downpour of scrutiny that followed its scathing campaign scandal, while the people’s love for its former glorious signatures (Demna-isms, if you will) washed away as collateral damage. Nonetheless, the brand was prepared with a legion of black umbrellas, which formed a makeshift shield over front-row attendees, like actresses Sophie Marceau and Michelle Yeoh. The result was less dreary and more cyberpunk.

The collection began with monochromatic formalwear, made big with Demna’s new-age tailoring. Blazers, built with massive shoulders and elongated sleeves, rested over trousers with ample room. Black leather bags, with simple Balenciaga branding, accessorized grey trenches and green overcoats, many of which left slits to reveal bulky footwear with seven-inch platforms.

For a moment, it seemed as if Demna was staying true to the apologetic words he shared with Vogue in the aftermath of his brand’s problematic imagery: “I will have a more mature and serious approach to everything I release as an idea or an image. I have decided to go back to my roots in fashion as well as to the roots of Balenciaga, which is making quality clothes – not making image or buzz.”

But glimpses of the designer’s old conversation-striking codes emerged soon after. Several models carried shoe boxes, which had been transformed into functional clutches; others wore towering sneakers with six inches worth of midsole, and a few were dressed in both.

Look 10 featured a T-shirt collaboration with AliPay, one of the largest mobile payment platforms in China. Then came the previously-teased Under Armour partnership, which manifested across three looks: a UA-branded belt held trousers at the mid-thigh in the first ensemble, while co-labeled technical jackets, performance zip-ups, workout tights and track pants composed the following two. Wasting no time, Balenciaga put both the AliPay collab and the Under Armour collection up for sale on its site immediately after the show’s conclusion.

In the latter half of the line, evening gowns embraced colorful patterns, spanning reptilian scales to wild furs, and outerwear turned large, with myriad sherpa, leather and gabardine coats taking the limelight. Those big jackets also doubled as bags, with their arms tied over models’ shoulders, while shoes were pre-fitted with white, calf-high socks.

The collection’s most avant-garde creations followed behind. Look 53’s shiny gold dress was akin to the foil-like gown Demna designed for Yeoh at this year’s Met Gala, while look 54’s bubbled-up and bow-tied dress manipulated the human form entirely. A billowing white gown contrasted a silky black version styled with white gloves, and another nighttime dress was chaotically covered in glamorous necklaces, bracelets and earrings. The final look — a feathered, pink gown that blanketed its wearer under its happy, free-flowing movement — trotted down the damp runway with an uncanny calmness.

When it rains, it pours. And while the brand’s drizzles of infamy may never dry, it’s clear that Balenciaga does not back down from a challenge.

Explore the brand’s Spring 2025 collection in the gallery above.