COUTURE

Lorde Reviews Demna’s Final Balenciaga Show

lorde balenciaga ss26 demna

WEDNESDAY 1:00 PM JULY 9, 2025 PARIS

Today’s couture show marked the end of Demna’s game-changing ten-year tenure as creative director of Balenciaga. Everyone from Cardi B to Nicole Kidman flocked to the fashion house’s atelier on Avenue George V to watch models (including Kim K and Naomi Campbell) don corsetry, sequins, and the house’s trademark oversized tailoring. After the presentation, our editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg debriefed with Lorde about hot models, fashion FOMO, and the end of a major fashion era.

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MEL OTTENBERG: What’s up? 

LORDE: What’s up? That was crazy. 

OTTENBERG: What are you wearing? 

LORDE: I’m wearing a Balenciaga crystal tank dress and jeans. 

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OTTENBERG: Of all the Balenciaga looks in the show today, who are you?

LORDE: I’m the security guard. 

OTTENBERG: Yeah. That’s hot. 

LORDE: He’s hot. 

OTTENBERG: He’s fucking hot. I wanna be him, too. 

LORDE: Yeah, busting out of the jacket. 

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OTTENBERG: Wait, wait, wait. Are you a Demna fan? 

LORDE: Oh my god, lifelong. But I’ve never been to a show, and I just felt like this was the one to come to. 

OTTENBERG: Absolutely. Sometimes I would have FOMO seeing it on the internet, you know? 

LORDE: Yeah. 

OTTENBERG: Which of these looks would you wear on stage? 

LORDE: I would wear the shoes and a bunch of tape on my tits. Mainly just that. 

OTTENBERG: Okay, hot. 

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LORDE: What are we doing tonight? Are we partying? 

OTTENBERG: Yeah, yeah. I’m gonna drink a Red Bull–

LORDE: Ok fair, same. [Laughs] 

OTTENBERG: I’ll hang out in the smoking section with you. Do you smoke cigarettes? 

LORDE: I do and I will. 

OTTENBERG: Okay, amazing, I figured you did. When can I get a record? Are they on sale now? 

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LORDE: I can give you one. 

OTTENBERG: No, I wanna buy it! 

LORDE: They’re out there. There’s a problem with the CD, have you heard about this?

OTTENBERG: No. 

LORDE: Oh there’s a whole drama. It’s a disaster. [Laughs] The CD cannot play if you have a player from like, 1995. 

OTTENBERG: Okay, I don’t have that. I have a tape deck, a record player, and that’s it. 

LORDE: So it won’t touch you. 

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OTTENBERG: But no, I want the record. I want the craft, I want the–

LORDE: The pussy. 

OTTENBERG: I want your pussy. [Laughs]

LORDE: [Laughs] 

OTTENBERG: Fab. Let’s take some pictures. Wait, who am I? Kai Schreiber was telling me she was obviously the pink corseted girl. You were the security guard. I wanna be the blonde surfer prom boy, but I’m not. 

LORDE: But you’re not. 

OTTENBERG: And I never will be. 

LORDE: Would you maybe be one of the garment bag holders? I could see you with one of those. 

OTTENBERG: You know, I really want khaki pants right now, so I’m gonna go with the couture khaki pants. That’s it. 

LORDE: Alright, there we go. [Laughs] 

OTTENBERG: And you’re the security guard. Alright, let’s take a picture.