The rain may have poured on the evening in Shanghai, but Balenciaga Creative Director Demna ensured the fashion world was well-hydrated with another intrepid Balenciaga chapter. Held outdoors at the iconic Pudong Art Museum, the Spring 2025 collection was a potent blend of Demna's signature subversion and a newfound, almost optimistic, glamour.

The towering skyscrapers of Pudong, a vision of modern China, mirrored the razor-sharp silhouettes that dominated the runway. Elongated coats and jackets, their shoulders reaching for the heavens, seemed to channel the city's vertical energy. This wasn't just fashion; it was a sartorial dialogue with Shanghai itself. A relationship that Demna is quite fond of nurturing, with China also being home to the most Balenciaga stores in a country.

Balenciaga 2025 Spring collection

The dark romanticism that has become synonymous with Balenciaga was showcased in the opulence of black, the ripped tights and layered tees that whispered of a 2010s health goth revival. This darkness was punctuated by flashes of light and an electronic soundtrack that offered an extra connection towards futurism. Light pink off-the-shoulder dresses and a fetching feathered masterpiece offered a glimpse of a new, softer Demna, perhaps one infused with the city's electric pulse. Where semi-couture and couture dresses were present and experimented with towards the end of the show.

The accessories were equally audacious. Platform boots with a metallic edge matched the city's skyscrapers, while the now-iconic Balenciaga sneaker reached new heights (literally) with a platform sole stretching to 16cm. Even taking gimmick satire to a new level where the shoes weren't just on the runway but their boxes, held under the models arms. The finale light pink gown, walked by the house's muse Eliza Douglas, created entirely from up-cycled plastic bags, a thought-provoking commentary in a city of frequent consumption.

The Balenciaga Spring 2025 show wasn't just a collection; it was an experience. It was Demna's love letter to a city, a meditation on modern silhouettes, and a playful push towards a new era of Balenciaga – one where darkness and light coexist beautifully in a, unexpected dance.

Celebrity attendees

Attending front row at the show was house ambassador Michelle Yeoh, as well as Sophie Marceau, Liu Haoran, Chris Lee and Yang Chaoyue. Walking the runway was house ambassador PP Krit, along with Eliza Douglas, Minttu Vesala.