PUMA x Balenciaga FW25 Revives Demna’s Tracksuit Legacy — But Signals a Shift
Demna Revisits the Tracksuit in PUMA x Balenciaga FW25 — With a Twist
Balenciaga has officially launched its long-teased PUMA collaboration as part of its Fall/Winter 2025 collection, reaffirming the tracksuit as a foundational part of Demna’s design language—but with subtle signals that change may be coming.Unveiled during the brand’s Paris Fashion Week FW25 runway show, the collection marks one of Demna’s final contributions to Balenciaga before his anticipated move to Gucci. The PUMA tie-up serves as a nod to the designer’s long-standing obsession with athletic wear and everyday silhouettes—but this time, things feel different.
From Normcore to Performancewear
Demna’s FW25 show opened with toned-down tailoring, greyscale sportswear, and normcore layers, before PUMA’s inclusion mid-show sparked a tonal shift. Deep blue and bright red added a jolt of energy, while models appeared in logo-taped tracksuits, football kits, windbreakers, and '90s-style sports separates.The footwear line-up included distressed Speedcats and an unexpected Ballerina slipper, extending the collaboration into both practical and provocative territory. Accessories like caps, gloves, socks, and a co-branded shopping bag rounded out the capsule.
Still, in contrast to past collaborations like adidas x Balenciaga, where Bella Hadid modeled exaggerated jersey silhouettes and comically oversized gear, this drop leans toward more standard sizing and shape—perhaps a preview of what’s next for Demna.
Demna: “I’m Uninterested in Oversized Fashion Now”
In a recent interview with Die Zeit, Demna openly expressed his fatigue with the oversized aesthetic he helped popularize. “It’s a specific silhouette—one of many possibilities. But right now, I’m very uninterested in oversized fashion. I’ve been there, I’ve done that,” he said.He echoed this sentiment post-FW25 show, telling Vogue: “It’s easy to put a chair on the head and say, oh, that’s wearable art... but I felt like maybe I had enough of that.”
The PUMA x Balenciaga collaboration feels like a turning point—maintaining Demna’s streetwear ethos but dialing back the scale and reining in the theatricality. His designs here are rooted in heritage and familiarity, not irony or absurdity.
Why Tracksuits Still Matter to Demna
The tracksuit is more than a trend for Demna—it’s personal history. Born in Georgia during the Soviet era, his design instincts are often influenced by bootleg sportswear, worker uniforms, and counterfeit culture, themes he has carried through Vetements, Balenciaga, and now into this PUMA project.In 2016, Vetements famously collaborated with Champion, transforming the nostalgic athletic brand into a luxury streetwear staple. That same spirit now re-emerges with PUMA—only less ironic, more reverent.
Looking Ahead: What Does This Mean for Gucci?
With Demna rumored to be taking over creative leadership at Gucci, fashion watchers are speculating whether this return to simpler forms and grounded silhouettes will define his next chapter.Will Gucci’s rich legacy of maximalism and romanticism clash with Demna’s street-infused roots—or will he adapt yet again, showing a new dimension of his creative range?
What’s clear is that the PUMA x Balenciaga FW25 collection serves both as a celebration of his past and a signpost of what’s to come.
