Since Demna arrived at the house of Balenciaga, the label has experienced an unrelenting ascent — driving sales across everything from designer sunglasses to leather goods to even the introduction of haute couture a few years back. Under his vision, the Balenciaga archetype has been reshaped, retwisted, and redefined as the silhouettes and aesthetics that we now know of and widely recognise today. 

We all know what the Balenciaga man looks like: Blackout wraparound shades, exaggerated shoulder pads, baggy pants in a hybrid of materials, perhaps fleece and raw denim clashed together, and of course, chunky sneakers. The image is unmistakable, almost archetypal. But beyond the visual, one question still lingers. What do they smell like?

It’s a question that has layers to its answers and takes years to formulate one. Throughout the different eras of the house, from Nicolas Ghesquière to Demna, now to Pierpaolo Piccioli, the question reinvents itself again. Under Ghesquière, the archetype carried notes of patchouli, woodiness and springtime; under Demna, despite a radical reshaping of the house, no fragrance ever emerged. If you go back more than seventy-five years ago, Cristobal Balenciaga released ‘Le Dix’, which translates to ‘The 10’, in French, a reference to the house’s 10 Avenue George V address of the original Balenciaga Couture salon. Up until recently, the house of Balenciaga sits fragrantly empty, with no new olfactory experiences to offer. 

But that changes today. Balenciaga is set to release a collection of 10 new fragrances, one that emulsifies the different eras of the label and threads them into distinct fragrances and experiences, all of which embody the storied spirit and history of the brand. It first began with the search of Le Dix within the house’s archive. A 15-year journey of intense research led to a faithful reproduction of the original Le Dix flacon, now retconned and recontextualised to house the new parfums. A glass globular cap and a hand-tied ribbon seal the bottle, packaged and labelled with Balenciaga’s manufactured signature patina detailing.

The 10 perfumes go as follows: No Comment, Getaria, Twenty Four Seven, To Be Confirmed, Muscara, 100%, Extra, Cristobal, Incense Perfumum, and finally, a mystery no longer, Le Dix. Each one is a paradox, heritage folded into futurism, replication made with modern technology. 

There is a scent for every feeling one might wish to summon. For those drawn to quiet power, No Comment and Cristóbal offer subtlety and understated presence, woven from notes of wood and patchouli. The sensual are beckoned by Muscara and Extra, two fragrances that play across the skin with spicy florals and whispers of seduction. Maximalism takes shape in 100% and To Be Confirmed, where Rosa Damascena and Silverneedle tea lend a chic, weighty presence. Lovers of the natural world may turn to Getaria and Twenty Four Seven, lifted by salty citrus, a seaside breeze and warm woody vanilla. And for those who want to be enveloped in history, there is Le Dix and Incense Perfumum, where cedarwood and violet leaf absolutes root the wearer in reverence — a fragrant nod to Balenciaga’s couture legacy and the house’s evolving memory.

The Balenciaga archetype is now an experience and not just for visual presence, extending beyond silhouettes to the invisible aura of scent. In this, the house continues to redefine itself, now proving that style is a culmination of all five of your senses. Starting today, the new complete collection of fragrances will be available first at a special dedicated Balenciaga Fragrance Store in the house’s 10 Avenue George V location. You can purchase them in a 100ml flacon, a 15ml travel option and a 200ml refill bottle. The release of the new perfumes will launch progressively throughout Asia in the coming months.

Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our September 2025 issue.