Demna is not exactly known for flying under the radar, so we expected nothing less from his final months at Balenciaga before his departure to Gucci. From a capsule collection with Lamborghini to unveiling actress Rachel Sennott as the new face of the brand, as well as dressing nearly every star at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Demna’s ability to manage a packed schedule deserves attention.
Now, the designer presents his last ready-to-wear collection in the way he knows best: with a meaningful statement that encapsulates the design codes he’s cultivated at Balenciaga over the past decade — accompanied by a surprising collaboration with a cultural icon: Britney Spears. Poetically and socially provocative; that’s Demna.
Ahead of his final couture show in Paris on July 9, Demna has dropped the Spring 2026 Collection on Instagram, as an almost love letter to those who have supported and trusted his vision during his years at the house. Titled Exactitudes, after the long-running photo project by Dutch photographer Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek — which has chronicled and categorised global youth subcultures since 1994 — the collection celebrates the defining archetypes of Demna’s Balenciaga: the people, the silhouettes, the attitudes, and the ideas. “My work at Balenciaga and in general has often circled around the anthropology of fashion and dress codes,” the designer explains. “That’s why I decided to create the imagery for this collection with Ari Versluis and Ellie Uyttenbroek.”
When Demna took the reins at Balenciaga in 2015, he didn’t just inherit a legacy; he challenged it. Known for his subversive approach and deep understanding of irony, he redefined what a luxury house could look and feel like in the 21st century. With his background in conceptual design and roots in streetwear and post-Soviet aesthetics, Demna transformed Balenciaga from a couture-rooted institution into an unapologetically political, provocative house. He introduced a new language of volume, proportion, and dystopian drama, often pushing silhouettes to their extremes while integrating commentary on consumerism, identity, and digital life.
Exactitudes brings together looks from thirty-five past collections, newly created pieces, and garments from Demna’s own wardrobe. It reflects the shapes, proportions, and sensibilities that have shaped his perspective on the modern style, as well as questioning the blurred boundaries between luxury and fashion.
Balenciaga’s pop cultural collaborations, from The Simpsons to Fortnite, also blurred the boundary between high fashion and mass entertainment. Now, alongside the Spring 2026 collection and as part of its Balenciaga Music series, the House launches a capsule with none other than Britney Spears. The exclusive drop includes t-shirts, zip-up hoodies, and silk twill flags featuring Spears’ autograph print and archival images by Rankin and Steven Klein, plus a Britney4ever EP by BFRND. It marks the official release of BFRND’s remix of Gimme More (featured in the lingerie-heavy SS25 show), along with a new take on Oops!... I Did It Again.
Spears has also curated a playlist of her favourite tracks, with selections from Janet Jackson, Madonna, Charli xcx, and Addison Rae. A nostalgic and perfectly pop farewell to Demna’s era — as we count down to his final couture show at the house.
