The Balenciaga Meme, Explained

“Harry Potter by Balenciaga,” the first of many AI-generated Balenciaga memes

YouTube/demonflyingfox

The janky, “uncanny valley” qualities of Generative AI make it the perfect tool for creating memes, and right now, the internet has decided that everything, from Harry Potter to Breaking Bad, needs to be Balenciaga.

“Harry Potter by Balenciaga” first inspired the trend; uploaded on YouTube on March 15th by YouTuber demonflyingfox, the video reimagines the iconic inhabitants of Hogwarts as stern-faced fashion models, with razor-sharp cheekbones and slick robes, set to the song “Lightvessel” by Thip Trong.

The video quickly went viral, currently boasting more than 4.6 million views, spreading to TikTok and Twitter. Soon, AI hobbyists began to experiment with similar prompts, one of the most famous being “Balenciaga Pope.”

Why Is The Balenciaga Meme So Popular?

Generative AI is often used to blend clashing aesthetics together, to create the kind of images that burn in your brain, and subsequently go viral. After all, meme culture has always gravitated toward unsettling imagery that is subtly (or explicitly) “off.”

High fashion is already imbued with an otherworldly aura and absurd undertones, as unsmiling, rail-thin models draped in abstract shapes are taken very seriously indeed; the alien vibes of the catwalk are easily captured by uncanny AI imagery.

Hence, other popular franchises were soon absorbed into Balenciaga. The Lord of the Rings proved popular; it seems that people can’t get enough of wizards with perfectly groomed beards.

Amusingly, Orlando Bloom’s Legolas is almost identical to his appearance in the films. Game of Thrones Balenciaga repeats the theme, but to diminishing returns. The Avengers was given the catwalk treatment, but aside from Thanos, the king of gaudy accessories, the characters are largely unremarkable.

Breaking Bad works surprisingly well; the hyper-masculine posturing of the characters combined with the polished outfits is hilarious.

Of course, Star Wars was also given a Balenciaga remix, and it might just be the best of the bunch. The series has always boasted grand, elaborate outfits and strong, simple colors; those Jedi robes can be shockingly stylish.

Final Fantasy 7 also stands out, not because the imagery is absurd, but because the character’s outfits have barely changed at all. The meme is starting to become meta, with Balenciaga montages starring popular YouTubers and meme templates.

Balenciaga has been combined with just about every pop culture trend one can think of; all of the above examples have multiple versions, each with their own unique oddities spawned by AI.

It’s already overused, but somehow, the joke is still funny, and the meme shows no sign of slowing down; AI hobbyists will not rest until every single work of fiction has been filtered through the cold, steely lens of Balenciaga.