Balenciaga continues its foray into music with Aya Nakamura

Balenciaga continues to venture into music, this time with Aya Nakamura. The French singer of Malian origin is creative director Demna’s newest muse. She will be the face of her collaboration launching on Thursday (March 17) with the Kering-owned brand.

Nakamura put together an exclusive playlist for the brand, selecting a list of songs “that have inspired, influenced and captivated her throughout her life". The playlist is available to stream or download on Apple Music. The singer was spotted at the label's Haute Couture show last July, where Demna gushed over her music and mentioned how much he was inspired by her. She was most recently seen attending the Fall/Winter 2022-23 fashion show.

This collaboration reinforces Balenciaga’s visibility among the younger generation more than ever. As recalled by the brand in a statement, "Aya has broken and re-broken records in terms of music streaming with her chart-topping tracks, garnering her titles like most-watched, most-played, most-viewed, and most important French singer in Europe right now.”

To accompany the playlist, Balenciaga is launching a limited edition capsule collection in its stores and on its e-commerce site as well as a campaign starring fans wearing the capsule’s products. The collection consists of T-shirts and hoodies designed to resemble concert merch, as well as a silver leather Hourglass bag featuring the singer's signature.

Last summer, the brand designed similar merch pieces for the release of Kanye West's new album "Donda". In 2020, Demna made his first personal playlist on Apple Music, revealing his taste in music to the public. German metal band Rammstein and American drag queen RuPaul have also contributed to this musical initiative.

Balenciaga continues its foray into music with Aya Nakamura

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