Talking to Demna Gvasalia about his first collection for one of fashions most influential brands.
Three years ago, Demna Gvasalia realized he was starting to hate his job. He was a designer at Louis Vuitton, barely in his 30s, feeding the beast of perhaps the most profitable luxury brand in the world. Not that Gvasalia, who grew up along the Black Sea in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, didn’t count himself lucky. He got to work with Marc Jacobs and then his successor, Nicolas Ghesquière, both creative without bounds. And Gvasalia loved having access to amazingly skilled artisans. That’s why he got into fashion in the first place—he was fascinated by how clothes were constructed. But he found himself questioning the whole structure of the business: The big-concept shows intended to reap publicity and sell handbags. The clothes themselves he didn’t personally care for or think that women would like either.
“I started to ask myself, Why? And who is going to buy this?” Gvasalia, now 34, says. “I mean, the biggest compliment for a designer is to see someone wear your clothes. And that’s something I rarely saw.”
Several of his friends in the business shared his frustrations. “We were all so negative, and that’s when we said, ‘Why don’t we do something for ourselves, on the weekends, to be happy?’ ” he explains. The result was Vetements, a small Parisian label whose name means, simply, “clothing” in French.
This story is from the March 7 - 20, 2016 edition of New York magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 7 - 20, 2016 edition of New York magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Indecent Exposure
Jerrod Carmichael's reality series attempts to excavate his deepest flaws.
Grave Mysteries
Josh O'Connor searches for the afterlife as a sad-eyed tomb raider.
Not Her First Rodeo
Beyoncé's country album is a history lesson, a rallying cry, and a missed opportunity.
How'd You Make That?
Three masterpieces, from glimmer through struggle to breakthrough.
In the Belly of the Barbz
Fear them. Cheer them. Nicki Minaj fans are sticking by their queen.
At the Altar of Korean Fried Chicken
Coqodaq's owner calls it a cathedral. It feels more like a club.
WHO ATE WHERE
119 YEARS of PUNK BREAKFASTS, UPTOWN LUNCHES, DRUNKEN DEALMAKING, and IMPOSSIBLE RESERVATIONS
Arizona's Split Reality
Ground zero for the rigged-election conspiracy, the border state could decide both the fate of the Senate and the presidency.
98 MINUTES WITH...The Lavery Family
Beloved literary couple Daniel and Grace Lavery and their partner, Lily Woodruff, are all living and working full time in their Brooklyn apartment. Now, they have to find space for a baby.
Neighborhood News: Patrolling With the Rat Czar
On a smokeout with Vermin Enemy No. 1.