Twenty-five years after its debut, the limited-edition reimagining of Le City is très chic and très Damien Hirst.

Did someone say Y2K? To celebrate Le City turning twenty-five this year, Balenciaga has tapped Damien Hirst for a new limited edition series. Affectionately dubbed Damienciaga, November 10th, 2026, starts a dynamic two-chapter campaign centered around the iconic bag and its growing community, paying tribute to icons across the globe.&nbsp;

Nicole Richie for Balenciaga Le City 25th Anniversary Campaign. Courtesy of Balenciaga.

Merging Le City’s avant-garde spirit and savoir-faire with notes of contemporary art, the house and Hirst introduce an original pattern derived from two of Hirst’s most repeated motifs: perfectly round, multi-colored spots forming the simplified shape of a butterfly, an aptly fluid connection to the relaxed silhouette and classic hardware of Le City.
Metamorphosed wings, bold names, and well-known works distilled into embroidered patches, motion-capturing Spin Paintings stretched across the contours of a beloved Le City Bag, all serve as further reinforcement of Hirst’s gift of elevating the quotidian to a more meditative and symbolic artistic place. With his series spanning Le City mini, small, medium, and large bag styles, as well as wallets, pouches, card holders, and micro bag charms, each featuring a unique graphic system and a handwritten Damienciaga portmanteau, Hirst once again transforms the radical and iconic bag into an art piece on universal beauty, reawakening, and the power of belief.&nbsp;

Cecilia Boey for Balenciaga Le City 25th Anniversary Campaign. Courtesy of Balenciaga.

The campaign sets Le City into the world of high art not only through its design but also through a special exhibition. Commencing the myriad of international events, launches, and campaigns to honor the bag’s legacy and loyal community is Le City House— an interactive, multi-room experience open to the public in select global flagships.
The experience features a live history archival display and video component that contextualize original bag designs with timestamped editorials, press clippings, and paparazzi photos dating from 2001 to today, handwritten notes, obsolete technologies, and other ephemera from the closets of faithful Balenciaga collectors, a special set of appointment-style, salon-like service treatments such as handle re-lacing, one-on-one charm consultation, custom mirror etching, hand-painted monogramming, leather care, and repair assessment to keep Le City Bag in shape, and an online and in-store quiz which will suggest to you your ideal Le City bag match.
Beginning in Balenciaga’s historic Paris home, 10 Avenue George V, from November 10th to 19th, kindred yet site-specific Le City House experiences will next arrive in New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing flagships, followed by iterations in many other Balenciaga locations across the globe.

Isabelle Huppert for Balenciaga Le City 25th Anniversary Campaign. Courtesy of Balenciaga.

Balenciaga’s trip into the Le City-verse serves as a reminder that a little nostalgia can go a long way. Take it from the icons, who are joining this joyous homage to the past. For them, Le City has served as a reliable wardrobe staple throughout the years, seeing them through evolutions and reminding them that good things never go out of style.&nbsp;
“What I like about Le City,” says Balenciaga Ambassador Isabelle Huppert, “is that it looks better when it's been lived with. Spending time with it in Paris made me think that the city is rather like that, too. Twenty-five years on, the bag still has an iconic nonchalance. That is exactly what makes Balenciaga so alive. The House has an amazing timeless modernity and to be a part of its story is really meaningful to me.”
Meanwhile, across the pond in Los Angeles, early Le City Bag investor Nicole Richie notes, “My Balenciaga bags have been with me through every era of my life. They’ve only gotten better with age, and you know what? So have I!”&nbsp;

Rachel Sennott for Balenciaga Le City 25th Anniversary Campaign. Courtesy of Balenciaga.

Even new generations are discovering Le City. Soccer star Hugo Ekitike admires the House because it “brings together different worlds, from fashion to music and sport, and creates something that feels relevant to our generation.”
For Rachel Sennott, Le City is her favorite bag. “I bring it everywhere and it grows and changes with me depending on where I need to go. Le City bag is adaptable and versatile just like me—she’s a party girl and a business woman and that's why Le City is still so iconic, 25 years later.”
Actor-singer Cecilia Boey sums it up. “Le City is one of the great symbols of Balenciaga, and celebrating its 25 years in Shanghai, a city full of history and life, was really special to me. I'm honored to be involved in this important milestone for the House and to celebrate the anniversary of one of its most iconic fashion pieces.”&nbsp;

Balenciaga’s Le City Bag Turns 25—And It’s Still Just as Iconic

Tags

Related Articles

Fashion

Are We Amidst Yet Another Y2K Renaissance?

Fashion

The Balenciaga City Bag Just Had Its First Couture Moment

Fashion

All of the Fall/Winter 2026 Campaigns Defining the Season

Recommended posts for you

L'Officiel Art

Precious Okoyomon Is A Dreamer By Nature

Shopping

These Clutches Are Pushing the Envelope

Fashion

Spring/Summer 2027’s Accessories Have Main Character Energy

Fashion

Into the Wild: Your Guide to the Fall/Winter 2026 Animal Print Trend

Shopping

The Jewelry Gifts That Will Make Her Holidays Unforgettable

Fashion

Balenciaga’s Le City Bag Turns 25—And It’s Still Just as Iconic

Film & TV

Austin Abrams Is Betting on Himself

Fashion

Isle of Monday Wants to Lend You Your Dream Vintage Wardrobe