Demna honoured with France’s Arts and Letters award

Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna, has been named a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, recognising his impact on fashion and culture. The award, presented by France’s Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, comes as Demna marks a decade at the house.

The ceremony, attended by Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault and actress Isabelle Huppert, highlighted Demna’s role in reviving Balenciaga’s couture line after a 53-year hiatus. Reflecting on the honour, he emphasised the need for creative freedom in French fashion.

This recognition places Demna alongside recent honourees such as Simon Porte Jacquemus and Dior Men’s Kim Jones, reinforcing fashion’s deep ties to France’s cultural identity.

Born in Georgia in 1981 and trained at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Demna’s trajectory has taken him from Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton to Vetements, the disruptive brand he co-founded, before joining Balenciaga in 2015. His tenure has been marked by both controversy and commercial success, as he reshaped the house’s aesthetic with a blend of irony, subversion, and couture-level craftsmanship.