Balenciaga Winter 22 360° Show Invitation iPhone, Alex Consani

Produced as the invitation to Balenciaga’s Winter 22 show, the “360° Show,” held at the Parc des Expositions Paris Le Bourget on March 6, 2022. Instead of a paper invitation, Demna’s Balenciaga sent guests iPhone 6s handsets with cracked screens and the show details laser-engraved on the back. Each phone was personalised with the recipient’s name. The invitations were widely discussed at the time and are now among the most recognisable show invitations of recent years.

https://www.balenciaga.com/en-en/winter-22

This invitation was addressed to Alex Consani, one of the defining models of her generation. In 2024 she became the first openly transgender woman to be named Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. In 2026 she became the first transgender woman to co-chair the Met Gala. She has been closely tied to Demna’s work across both houses. She walked his Balenciaga Fall 2024 show in Los Angeles. At Gucci, she has walked every one of his runway shows to date, opened his Pre-Fall 2026 lookbook, appeared in his film The Tiger, and wore a custom Gucci gown by Demna to the Met Gala she co-chaired.

A silver iPhone 6s, engraved on the back with the Balenciaga logo, the show title, the date and time, the venue address, and the name of the guest it was sent to: Alex Consani. The invitations came with a card saying they were nonfunctional and for display only, but this phone turns on and works perfectly.