Balenciaga's Ode to Los Angeles Includes Athleisure, Erewhon Bags and Cardi B

On a beautifully clear, sunny Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles's ultra-wealthy Hancock Park neighborhood, Demna became the latest designer to present his sartorial interpretation of L.A. His vision? L.A.-core at its most luxurious (and literal).

In lieu of a traditional venue, Balenciaga took over a quiet residential street lined with palm trees and mansions (a few residents could be seen watching from their windows and balconies), with the Hollywood sign visible in the distance. (Guests who drove, like myself, were shuttled there in party buses.) It was an unmistakably L.A. backdrop for an unmistakably L.A. collection.

After a solid hour of celebrity arrivals (Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Nicole Kidman, Tracee Ellis Ross, Lil Wayne and many more), the show kicked off with a series of quietly luxurious black athleisure looks made up of leggings, hoodies and chunky sneakers — i.e. what you'd see the average Angeleno wearing on a typical Saturday afternoon. The collection takes a nostalgic turn from there, via Juicy Couture-inspired (remember Demna's collaboration with the brand for Vetements Spring 2017?) whale-tailed tracksuits paired with oversized Ugg boots (some with heels!) for all genders.

To really drive home the L.A. energy, several models brought cell phones, yoga mats and Balenciaga-branded water bottles and takeout coffee cups down the street-turned-runway. Then, there's the collection's pièce de résistance (and hot-ticket accessory): an Erewhon grocery bag reimagined as a handbag, with a small Balenciaga logo above the grocery store's — an official collab with the famous L.A.-based health-food purveyor. (Otherwise, handbags are luxe and massive, including big Cagoles with nylon tote handles.)

As the show went on, looks became slightly less L.A.-coded and more formal and Balenciaga-coded. Think: black, shoulder-padded oversized coats and blazers, leather separates, body-con asymmetrical dresses and tights-as-pants covering ultra-high-heel pumps. Brigitte Nielsen made a surprise runway appearance in a black turtleneck, jeans and towering thigh-high platform boots. Red carpet-ready gowns and coats close out the collection, including a bright-blue furry number (worn by Cardi B) and the final look: a dramatic white wedding gown with a structural collar covering everything but the model's eyes.

L.A. has been a popular destination for luxury houses to host runway shows in recent year. Despite being closely preceded by the likes of Alessandro, Donatella, Hedi and Virginie, Demna managed to do something different, seamlessly fusing his aesthetic for Balenciaga with everyday L.A. style — and further cementing Erewhon as a luxury status symbol in the process.

See every look from Balenciaga Fall 2024 below.

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Balenciaga Fall 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

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