Balenciaga Created a Special Episode of ‘The Simpsons’ for Its SS22 Paris Fashion Week Show

Balenciaga took a much different approach to its Paris Fashion Week show this year, as the week-long series of events returned to a live format.

For the brand’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection, the house partnered with The Simpsonsto debut a special 10-minute episode of the cartoon during its runway show on Saturday night at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Hypebeast reports.

The clip begins with Homer Simpson persuading Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia to lend a gown to Marge, with it culminating in a Balenciaga runway show that features the Springfield residents as models. Beloved characters like Mo the Bartender, Chief Wiggum, and Smithers appear on the catwalk, while a cartoon Anna Wintour sits in the audience.

The TV show also made fun of the house’s exorbitant prices and the oversized shoulder pads on Marge’s gown. In true Homer fashion, he ends up stuffing his mouth full of escargots and finds it difficult pronouncing the brand’s name: “Is that Balenciagaga?” he jokes in the clip above.

According to The Guardian, it was Gvasalia’s idea to team up with The Simpsons. He’s been a fan of the animated series since his childhood in the former Soviet Union.

Prior to the special screening, the audience saw Balenciaga’s new collection on celebrities who walked the red carpet, including Cardi B, Offset, Lewis Hamilton, Juergen Teller, Isabelle Huppert, Naomi Campbell, and Elliot Page. As they walked, the models were photographed by paparazzi and adored by yelling crowds. The arrivals were livestreamed for 20-minutes rather than the clothes being shown on the runway.