Total collected: $ 0
Total collected: $ 0
Demna
Creative director
July, 2022
“The war in Ukraine has triggered the pain of a past trauma I have carried in me since 1993, when the same thing happened in my home country, and I became a forever refugee. Forever, because that's something that stays in you. The fear, the desperation, the understanding that no one wants you. But I also realized what really matters in life, the most important things, like life itself and human love and compassion,”
wrote the Creative Director, Demna, in his letter to guests at a runway show on March 6th, 2022.
In July, Demna joined the UNITED24 ambassador team: “I know and feel the pain that the Ukrainians are going through very well. I thought a lot about how I can help Ukraine and all the refugees who want to come back home. That’s why I chose to focus on the humanitarian Rebuild Ukraine Direction and its cause.”
To support the Rebuild Ukraine program, Balenciaga — whose creative director at the time was Demna — launched an exclusive line of T-shirts with the blue-yellow flag, trident, and the words “Slava Ukraini!” (Glory to Ukraine!). On the back of the sweatshirt is a massive QR-code, which links to a website where one can make a donation. Thanks to popular sales, Balenciaga donated over €500,000 via UNITED24. This amount was enough to rebuild 2 apartment complexes at 104A Mechnykova Street and 106 Mechnykova Street in the town of Irpin, near Kyiv. During the invasion, 70% of Irpin was annihilated by russian forces.
