Balenciaga’s "Leaked" Collection Has Everyone Talking ⚠️

[Hypebeast] December 05, 2024 Weekly Digest 🤳🏼 Balenciaga Fall 2025 Breaks the Fourth Wall With Imagery Straight Out of Demna's Phone TLDR: Under its mononymous creative head Demna, one can only expect the unexpected when it comes to Balenciaga. For Fall 2025, the designer rolled out imagery with leak-style photos debuted on his personal Instagram, complete with busy Balenciaga watermarks. Why It Matters: The ‘internal-use’ images of the collection captured on Demna’s phone reflect the ironic subversion of the everyday that has become synonymous with his tenure at the historic fashion house. With a foundation rooted in “casual everyday outfits,” the collection swings between extremes, taking staples like the t-shirt from pedestrian celebrity merch depicting icons like Kim Kardashian and Michelle Yeoh to refined moments with a flowy maxi t-shirt dress and a semi-fitted white tee mini-dress. This dialectic of opposites is a thread that runs throughout, with polarities between brand-new tagged garments vs. hyper-distressed pieces, heavy long-line skirts vs. micro-skirts fashioned out of men’s briefs, and maximalist numbers vs. minimal looks comprising single pieces. Read the full article [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🌸 Louis Vuitton Announces Nostalgic Takashi Murakami Re-Edition Collection TLDR: Louis Vuitton has taken to Instagram to announce a major drop for the beginning of 2025. Celebrating two decades following the iconic collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, the luxury French fashion house is salted to launch a nostalgic re-edition collection of the collaboration. Why It Matters: When the collaboration first debuted on the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2003 runway, LV’s then-creative director Marc Jacobs defined fashion collaborations for the noughties. The era saw the logoed LV bags riddled with monogramouflage and cherry blossoms as Murakami lend his cartoon-style artwork to the house’s signature pieces. Bringing LV to modern mainstream media’s attention, the collaboration has been regarded as one of the most memorable to date. While little is known about the release, the Instagram announcement features a short teaser clip of what fans can expect. Featuring Murakami’s iconic vibrant floral motifs as well as the bear, combined with the classic LV moniker, the duo appears to ready a major re-release of some of the collaboration’s most iconic pieces. Read the full article [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- ⏻ Nike Shuts Down Virtual Sneaker Brand RTFKT TLDR: Nike is officially shutting down its virtual sneaker and fashion brand RTFKT. According to CEO Elliot Hill, Nike is recalibrating and reassessing its priorities as it moves into its next chapter of digital innovation. Why It Matters: RTFKT was Nike’s surprise acquisition in 2021, one of its pandemic-era crypto investments into web3 and was seen as “the Supreme of the metaverse.” John Donahoe wanted to put Nike at the forefront of the digital world and even launched Nike’s own web3 platform, .SWOOSH. However, post-boom, RTFKT’s NFTs saw their values decline, struggling to keep the community engaged. Taking to X to make the announcement of the closure, the four-year-old company states that upon shut down, RTFKT will be launching a website that will showcase digital works spanning from NFTs that include Takashi Murakami-designed avatars to virtual versions of Nike Dunks. They announced that they will be halting operations by end of January 2025, including online quests its community members would have to complete to access the products. Read the full article [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 💪 Streetwear Meets Strength With Young LA and Gold’s Gym’s Latest Collab TLDR: The brand partnered with the iconic fitness franchise Gold’s Gym to create a capsule that blends the best of both worlds: Gold’s Gym’s rich fitness heritage with YoungLA’s signature streetwear edge. The collection is a part of the two brands’ Black Friday release and is available now. Why It Matters: YoungLA has roots in streetwear but also aligns with the gym’s commitment to supporting the athletic community. As part of a two-year partnership, Gold’s Gym and YoungLA releases an exclusive range of outerwear, streetwear, and athleisure designed for the most dedicated and stylish gym-goers. The collection features Gold’s Gym’s signature color scheme and emblem on high-performance pieces like sweatpants, graphic t-shirts, joggers, and hoodies. Each item is designed with versatility in mind, transitioning effortlessly from workouts to daily life and beyond. Gold’s Gym—also known as the “Mecca of Bodybuilding”— inspires exercise enthusiasts to integrate health and wellness into their daily routines. Read the full article [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 💰 Unboxing: The User-Friendly Yet Secure Crypto Wallet, Ledger Stax TLDR: The latest generation of Ledger’s digital asset security has been centered around the release of the innovative Ledger Stax and Ledger Flex. Of the two wallet-style devices, the Ledger Stax model – revealed first in 2022 – has pioneered the brand’s secure tech worldwide, ensuring that every user can protect their cryptocurrency with ease. Why It Matters: In a new unboxing, Hypebeast gets hands-on with the Ledger Stax, exploring how the wallet functions seamlessly for everyday use. From logging into the device to creating secret recovery codes, the setup process creates a sense of reliability from the get-go. Once in, users can browse through the menu on the E Ink touchscreen that wraps around the wallet, featuring an about section, lock screen settings, the addition of sounds, and the option to change languages. One of the defining features that sets the credit card size Ledger Stax model apart from the Ledger Flex is that it is magnetized and stackable. Read the full article [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Hypebeast] [Download the Hypebeast App]( On iOS & Android Devices [hypebeast facebook]( instagram]( twitter]( youtube]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Manage Subscriptions]( Policy]( You are subscribed to Hypebeast’s marketing emails with the address: {EMAIL} Contact [subscription@hypebeast.com](mailto: subscription@hypebeast.com) for assistance on any enquiries. 2023 Hypebeast Limited. All Rights Reserved Hypebeast, 40/F, Cable TV Tower, No.9 Hoi Shing Road, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong