On 19th September 2024, Balenciaga Music launched a collaboration with the legendary Italian singer Mina, including limited-edition merch, a three-hour original playlist by Mina featuring a personal selection of songs from her preferred artists, and the exclusive pre-release of her new track, “L’Amore Vero,” accessible via Balenciaga Music | Mina products. The single previews the artist’s forthcoming album, which will be released to the public in November.

“Before I realized it, I became obsessed. I immersed myself in her live performances, her albums… She was simply the right performer for that period of my life, during which I sought a means in music to express the melancholy and sadness I felt after a relationship ended.” Demna Gvasalia said.

A pair of sunglasses designed by Demna Gvasalia are a continuous, black-tinted lens inspired by Mina’s signature eye makeup and lasered with her autograph on the inside of one temple, alongside an exclusive QR code that unlocks “L’Amore Vero.” The T-shirt is printed with Mina’s visage and a list of her 106 albums. Its tag is embedded with an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip that, when activated by a compatible device, also reveals the new track.

This method of exclusively premiering a song to individuals via chip or code was developed by Balenciaga as an entirely unique form of music merch interaction. The House continues to innovate in the areas of technology, product design, and artist collaboration, allowing these interests to inform one another.

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