Balenciaga Fashion Week SS25 - Fashion Event and Interior Design - Brand Experience

Architecture, Interior Design and Brand Experience

CONCEPT

A Collaboration of Culture is a conceptual idea for an immersive pop-up restaurant and runway experience created as part of the Balenciaga Shanghai SS25 show. This event celebrates the collaboration between Balenciaga and Shanghai-based Nu Xiang Mu Dou, bringing together the worlds of high fashion and fine dining in an unexpected yet seamless fusion. The event featured a Balenciaga-inspired menu, including the standout dish of black truffle soup dumplings, offering a sensory experience that showcased how food culture and fashion are increasingly intertwined. This collaboration served as a striking reminder of how these two creative realms are blending, pushing the boundaries of design and experience.

Balenciaga pop-up interior materials moodboard featuring wood, stone, steam and lighting textures

Balenciaga pop-up exterior with woven timber facade and transparent storefront

Concept Design Pillars

Layered Worlds - Inspired by the woven texture of a bamboo steamer, symbolising the fusion of fashion and food through layered craftsmanship and materiality

Ground & Gold - Drawn from the black truffle, representing the contrast between humble origins and elevated luxury, and the transformation of the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Rising Spirit - Referencing the movement of steam rising from dumplings, expressing energy, transformation, and the shared life force between culinary and fashion worlds.

Balenciaga pop-up interior approach featuring woven wooden pavilion structure and seating

“The woven timber façade draws inspiration from the intricate bamboo construction of a traditional bun steamer, while fabric installations mimic the rising steam, creating a dynamic visual representation of the dish’s essence.”