VETEMENTS STEPS OUT OF FASHION SHOW SYSTEM

Annie Leibovitz photographed Demna Gvasalia for the September 2016 issue of Vogue

Annie Leibovitz photographed Demna Gvasalia for the September 2016 issue of Vogue

In an interview with Demna Gvasalia in Vogue on Friday, Demna Gvasalia declared it will no longer stage fashion shows. The label, which recently moved to Zurich, feels runway shows don’t reflect the reality of the clothes.

The brand will still produce new collections every season, however it will not be part of fashion week. Vetements shows has staged previously in places of churches and sex clubs, and the brand’s founder Demna Gvasalia believes the shows have become repetitive.

For the first time last season, I was able to watch our own show from a balcony, I could see everybody filming it on their screens. I realized that 80 percent of the clothes we did were not really seen or understood. And it cost so much. 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. And there are brands now putting on shows around the world that cost millions. I think it’s a complete waste.
— Demna Gvasalia for Vogue

From now on Vetements will present its upcoming collection in the form of private events with buyers or appointments at its Paris showroom and no longer during Couture week.

Gvasalia, who runs the brand with his brother Guram, maintains that the label could stage another runway show in the future if the time called for it.

Vetements recently moved the company from Paris to Zurich to take advantage of Switzerland’s better tax system. The Gvasalia brothers also plan to turn Zurich into a fashion capital. Demna Gvasalia remains creative director of Balenciaga, which is based in Paris.

The most important thing is to stay sane and human. I keep saying that to Guram; the most important thing now is that we must enjoy what we do. Luckily, we’re independent. That’s the joy of Vetements.
— Demna Gvasalia to Vogue