Demna was struck by one of his songs in 2011. Today, after 13 years, the long-awaited date for the collaboration between the Maison and the legendary singer for a Capsule Collection celebrating courage has arrived

Despite the fact that her career has been characterised by a constant creative construction and deconstruction of her own image, even by fashion and courageous stylistic choices, this is the first time that Mina Anna Maria Mazzini - aka MINA - has decided to release an album in partnership with a fashion Maison.

Mina has never been much interested in fashion: "I only buy things I like. And I really like shoes, even the very colourful ones, sportswear and long, evening dresses. I don't like jewellery: the only exception are two solitaires I bought for myself and a series of rings of no value that I enjoy to wear on all my fingers. I don't like at all the Courrèges style that turns women into sexless teenagers,' she said in 1969.

Demna Gvasalia, the experimental Georgian designer, have understood a lot about the personality of the founder of the Maison Cristóbal Balenciaga, which he has led since 2015. This is also proven in this new collaboration project, dominated by the huge shadow and incredible voice of Mina.

This is Balenciaga Music | Mina: a Balenciaga capsule collection dedicated to the "Tiger of Cremona", launched on 19 September. The project was accompanied by an exceptional playlist with 50 tracks chosen by Mina, for a total of three hours of listening. This date also included the pre-release, in a limited edition, of "L'amore vero", the first extract from the singer's new album, out in November.

The 19Th of September 2024 is an historic date, therefore, which marks the first time that Mina officially collaborates with a fashion maison. Mina has long followed the work of the Georgian designer with great interest, which she considers daring and pioneering, characteristics in which she probably recognises herself. For this reason, when the Maison express the wish to homage her with this Balenciaga project, she accepted.

Together they decided to create a special limited edition of T-shirt, with her iconic face on the front and the impressive list of her 106 albums on the back. The T-shirt label will feature an NFC (Near Field Communications) chip that, when activated by a compatible device, unlocks "L'amore vero".

The sunglasses, the accessory that has become one of the most distinctive marks of Mina's look over the years, could not be missing from this capsule. The continuous shape of the black lenses is inspired by her iconic eye make-up. Her signature is laser-engraved on the inside with an exclusive QR code that, like the tag on the T-shirts, gives preview access to "L'amore vero".

Then there is the playlist that Mina created for this collaboration: not a collection of her hits, as might be believed, but pieces chosen by her from those she particularly loves. A journey into her musical world, in which you can find everything from Vivaldi to Bruno Mars, from Cole Porter to Aerosmith, from Battisti to Sinatra. The compilation includes only two tracks interpreted by her. In addition to "L'amore vero", there is "This masquerade", a jazz classic reinterpreted by the artist.

"With her “strength and sensuality,” says the note released by the fashion house, "she has driven fashion standards and inspired many generations of women. Her art as a singer and performer has gone hand in hand with her 40-year exploration of her image, which influences culture"

Virna Facchinetti @ Modem