While the crisis had fuelled his desire to purify his message at Balenciaga, Demna said the idea for the show had been longer in the making. “In October, I decided I was going to focus on clothes and put them in the spotlight again because that’s what my job is and what I do best.” He was starting to feel like the theatre that surrounded his shows was taking away attention from the clothes. “People didn’t see the collection any more behind it, because there was The Snowstorm and The Mud Show. I was really frustrated. The Mud Show was the climax to that because I felt like the concept of the show was becoming more important than the actual collection. Not in my eyes, but in the eyes of the audience,” he said. “A lot of people thought I would do a show as a response to the crisis, which was completely not the case. First of all, you cannot make a show in two months. And I would never make a collection that would be a response to that.”

It marked a departure from celebrity exposure

Not one celebrity attended this season’s Balenciaga show. Their absence painted a contrast to the fame-driven marketing that has defined the house in everything from campaigns to shows, which have featured the likes of Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber, and catapulted Demna’s work into global awareness. “I have never been into dressing celebrities,” he said. “This is something that happened with the growth of the brand and the global exposure. It became a part of it. But for me as a creative, it’s not something that represents my vision and it’s not something I need for my vision to evolve.” As a contrast to the limelight that surrounded him prior to the crisis, he spent the months after getting back to basics in his atelier. “I ended up making clothes. I found a solace in that. Almost like a shelter. I wasn’t thinking about anything else but that; but what I was doing. It made me realise why I’m a designer and why I do all of this. It’s the only zone where I feel comfortable and happy.”

Demna considered the show a silver lining

Was Demna nervous about the show? “I have to say, I’ve been so nervous for so long now that I’m numb to it. I already suffered through it, so now I’m more excited. It’s a solid representation of my vision for Balenciaga and as a designer, so I’m not nervous about that,” he said. “At the end of the day, you have to bring out something positive even from horrible situations like this. For me, the positive thing has been reconnecting with myself and understanding what’s my real purpose. I go back to square one: making a jacket and a coat. It’s almost like rehab.”