Balenciaga unveils a collection of Paris-inspired souvenirs
To celebrate the start of the high tourist season, Balenciaga, the prestigious luxury fashion house, takes its inspiration from Parisian souvenir stores. And launches an exclusive collection of commemorative objects: Souvenir Shop.
Balenciaga Souvenir Shop
The collection includes a variety of items. Such as a baguette-shaped magnet, a tote bag emblazoned with “Belleville” and flip-flops featuring the Sacré-Coeur. As Paris prepares to welcome millions of tourists this summer, Balenciaga is offering objects reminiscent of those usually found in the capital’s souvenir stalls.
The creations in this collection are available in a multitude of media. With various prints, retro photographs and representations of the Eiffel Tower. Caps, T-shirts, aprons, postcard sets, padlocks, key rings, snow globes and umbrellas are just some of the items available.
Luxury and pop culture
The Balenciaga Souvenir Shop project is another example of Demna‘s creative vision. Artistic director of the brand since 2015. By integrating mass-market codes into her creative process, Demna questions the notion of counterfeiting and pushes the boundaries of luxury fashion. Previous pop culture inspirations include the Ikea shopping bag, Arbre Magique car air freshener and Crocs clogs.
“Fashion loves categories and labels: luxury, not luxury, street, couture, good or bad buzz” declared Demna before his Summer 2023 show, where he presented bags in the colors of Lay’s potato chips. “Reducing luxury to something impeccable, exclusive and ostentatious is not only reductive, it’s outdated.”
Most of these items are available on the Balenciaga website and in several of its boutiques. However, the largest selection of pieces from the collection is on display in the flagship store on rue Saint-Honoré. Until September 23, 2024, an installation dedicated to this collection is on display in the window. Offering visitors a unique, immersive experience.
