Balenciaga has also already done this more effectively. In 2022, it released an entire sportswear collection with Adidas complete with tracksuits, Three Striped-takes on the Triple S sneaker, and hoodies embroidered with Trefoils.
One could argue that we didn’t need that collaboration either, but at least Adidas has the cultural cachet that might have enticed some people to buy it. Adidas tracksuits and Shelltoes have become organically entwined with fashion throughout history. Under Armour never has. Balenciaga and Adidas made a bit more sense. The Trefoil and Three Stripes are iconic logos. I just can’t see that same customer being excited to go buy a giant T-shirt with Under Armour’s interlocking “UA” on it.
The Under Armour capsule, and Spring 2025 presentation in Shanghai that it was revealed in, is Balenciaga’s latest attempt to repair its reputation following the much-talked-about controversy centered around a 2022 campaign. Some people seem ready to move past the incident. Others aren’t so quick to forgive. But it does seem like Balenciaga is moving forward, business as usual, with its ironic takes on fashion and grand runway shows. And while it’s what many of us have come to expect, it goes against what Demna said the brand would be doing post-controversy back in February 2023. He told Vogue: “I will have a more mature and serious approach to everything I release as an idea or an image. I have decided to go back to my roots in fashion as well as to the roots of Balenciaga, which is making quality clothes – not making image or buzz.”
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