A Read on Demna’s Balenciaga FW25 That Might Be a Reach—But It’s Not
I have to start by admitting that this last collection was the one that, even as an avid Demna fan, I could not excuse—it was just boring. But there’s something about a Demna collection: if you look at it long enough, you’ll find something to write an essay about. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do. In this short essay, I’ll lay out how Demna helps immigrant subcultures find their place in culture instead of being simply criminalized and mocked. I’ll talk about how the streets are the first and last source of inspiration for Demna and how, when searching for answers in his creations, you always need to look at the streets—the streets of now, of March 10, 2025, at 18:56.
Every rebellious subculture started as a criminally charged group of teens on the streets. Punks were literally “punks” before Westwood aestheticized them. And now? We have punk-style blogs on every social media platform. But punk, as a movement, was mainly rooted in White culture. What happens when a rebellious street culture emerges from immigrants, from people of color, from the original outcasts of the Western world? That is the "street" of now that Demna is picturing in his collection: the Talahons, the Milanese Maranzas—the second-generation immigrant teens in pursuit of self-expression.
Fake Gucci fanny packs, fake Balenciaga sneakers, baggy or fitted jeans, Burberry caps—this is the look that reminds people in Germany of Talahons. The term, taken from a UK drill rap by Hassan, became one of the most talked-about in Germany’s street culture in 2024. Talahons are rebellious kids, mostly from immigrant families, gathering at Burger King and Bahnhof parking lots, blasting music, and intimidating White passersby by simply existing. The Talahon style is one for immigrant teens in search of an identity—one that both conceals and exposes them. To hide from scrutiny, and to scream at scrutiny.
Milanese Maranzas are flashier than Talahons—maybe it’s the warmer climate of Italy (!). Moncler puffers, Gucci belts, Nikes, and Dolce & Gabbana make up their uniform. Maranzas are northern Italy’s version of Talahons, the so-called "intimidators" of public safety. They are the ones wearing wealth before they have it.
Both Maranzas and Talahons are viewed as gangs, as criminals—even though only a small number are involved in petty crime. Police profile them based on their stylistic choices, on their decision to belong to a group—the most natural teenage behavior. Punks, real punks, still exist in Europe, and based on my observations, even in Germany. But how often are they stopped for random questioning compared to Talahons in fake luxury fanny packs?
Demna understands this too well. He knows the clichés, the side-eyes, the profiling. Eastern Europeans have long been viewed like Talahons. The Balkans and crime rings almost go hand in hand in media portrayals. Demna has played with this before—bringing Eastern European street style to luxury, to Paris. This time, too, he seems to feel the urgency to represent the subcultures of immigrants—subcultures that usually take forever to even be called "subcultures." And maybe, just maybe, FW25 was his way of representing Talahons and Maranzas—of legitimizing their style and presence in fashion, instead of leaving them to be dismissed as criminals.
With the urgency that Demna represents the streets, it’s clear that he aims to represent, not to steal. He disgusts the audience, because for them, the flimsy tracksuit and over-worn shoes are tacky. But for the streets, that is culture.
FW25 may not have been a strong collection design-wise, but as always, it carried a powerful message—for those who are looking.
