Hey Siri, play Demna’s greatest hits.
Actually, play Britney’s greatest hits.
Britney as in Spears, of course—who else? Demna’s (presumably) final culture-bending coup during his generation-defining tenure at Balenciaga has been to tap none other than the one-and-only pop princess Britney Jean Spears to curate a playlist of her greatest hits, plus “songs that have inspired her,” to accompany his resort 2026 lineup, his last ready-to-wear effort at the house. The playlist, now available on Apple Music and Spotify, will be accompanied by a limited-edition series of apparel and accessories—because, well, duh—along with two remixes of Britney’s most iconic songs, “Gimme More” and “Oops… I Did It Again” by BFRND, Demna’s partner and the longtime mastermind behind the musical complements to his collections.
It’s all nothing short of fabulous. Not unlike the brand that has just hired her, Britney is a global pop icon who has come to define both a generation and a demographic—hello, Millennials, good morning and Happy Pride month, gays! Both Britney and Balenciaga have been hyped-up, elevated, questioned, and scrutinized. In a word (or two): they’re era-defining.
“I have always loved fashion and was so honored and excited [that] Balenciaga and Demna chose to collaborate with me on Demna’s last collection with the house,” Spears said via a press release. “I hope my fans love it as much as I do! These are some of my favorite images from such an amazing time in my career and life, and I’m so excited to share it with everyone.”
Now about the clothes. Demna gave this collection a name: “Exactitudes.” Named after a series by photographer Ari Versluis and writer Ellie Uyttenbroek, who have also worked on this set of images, that Demna said has inspired his approach to fashion up to this point (that last part is important). The series documents a range of identities the pair have labeled “exactitudes,” a combination of “exact” and “attitude.” Each person is registered in an identical context that helps underscore their efforts to distinguish themselves by adopting an identity. To put it plainly, it’s an exercise in simultaneously identifying and exposing our collective desire to be both part of the pack and to distance ourselves from it. A study of archetypes and group thinking—sounds like Demna, no?
Here, Demna remixed 35 different collections from his time at Balenciaga together with “new pieces” and “garments from my personal wardrobe, representing the volumes, silhouettes, and attitudes that have defined my vision and my questioning of the contemporary wardrobe.”
During his time at Balenciaga, Demna has made a cerebral examination of the most familiar of clothes. It has at times felt intentionally repetitive, as if the designer was season after season carving at the same sculpture rather than at a fresh stone. It’s become its own sub-language, an anti-seasonal anti-fashion exercise delivered both seasonally and fashionably. This most evident contradiction has been its crux and its highest achievement. It invited criticism and praise. This collection embraces that wholly by doing what it’s always done: the exact same, yet not at all.
“Working on this collection felt like a homecoming after all these years, a very formidable experience of love for fashion and dressmaking,” Demna continued. “It is the end of a wonderful era that I wanted to capture and celebrate by creating the Balenciaga ‘archetypes’— the people, the silhouettes, the vibes ,and the ideas that have all been fundamental in my work for this amazing house.”
Sharp hourglass tailoring, panta-boots, hulking volumes, and extrapolations of familiar classics (most memorably the puffer jacket). You don’t need me to break down and identify Demna’s codes—the designer has made sure we all know them by heart by now.
Instead I offer you this: It’s been a wild, exhausting year-plus in fashion, with designers coming and going places both expected and mind-boggling. Yet what Demna has provided here is closure, a refreshing rarity in this season of change. It’s satisfying to see how designers can close chapters as remarkable as this one when they’re awarded the time and resources to do so. Demna will stage one last Balenciaga show during haute couture week on July 9. In the lead-up, a retrospective exhibition will open to the public. “Balenciaga by Demna,” will be on view from June 26 through July 9 at Kering’s headquarters in Paris.
Siri, cue Britney’s “Gimme More.”
