Today in Paris, Vetements presented its spring collection, which garnered significant pre-show buzz for blending men’s and women’s wear and featuring nearly exclusive collaborations with eighteen other brands, including Levi’s, Carhartt, Juicy Couture, and Brioni. Although collaborations in fashion aren’t new (Comme des Garçons has been doing it for years), Vetements is pioneering by showcasing them all together on the same runway. It’s yet to be seen how this will impact logistics and delivery, or if it might lead to market cannibalization. Additionally, it remains unclear how it will influence designer Demna Gvasalia’s role at Balenciaga, where he promotes a similar but distinct aesthetic.
If this approach reminds you of Margiela, you’re spot on. Gvasalia previously worked at the house famed for its deconstruction and blend of high and low fashion elements. This influence was evident in the collection’s mismatched shirts, undersized hoodies, loosely fastened belts, thigh-high boots for both genders, and an overall laid-back vibe, all seemingly striving for an effortless cool.
Instead of viewing Vetements as an offshoot of other labels, perhaps we should see it as a pioneering internet-era brand, thriving on disruption, appropriation, and shareability. This new terrain is fluid and uncontrolled, embodying subversion through total immersion.