Naomi Campbell's Paris Couture Week Streak Ends With an Upside-Down, $65,000 Balenciaga Dress
It debuted on the runway this time last year.


While ateliers like Schiaparelli and Balenciaga dominated the Paris Couture Week circuit, Naomi Campbell delivered an unofficial show of her own steps away from the nearest front row. The supermodel's street style theme? Dynamic denim. On day one, she pulled off a double-denim Adidas tracksuit. Then, on July 9, she outdid herself by turning classic jeans on their head (literally).
Mere hours after walking the runway for Demna's final Balenciaga presentation, Campbell traded her cone-bra sequin gown for a comfier LBD. Rumor has it, she attended a birthday party for Law Roach, Zendaya's longtime stylist. (No, Zendaya wasn't there. Trust: I checked.)
Campbell styled your average black jeans as a dress. The wide-leg bottoms were flipped upside down, transforming the high-rise waistline into her hem, and the billowy pant legs into her neckline. Where the pants would split into two legs, they were actually sewn together using extra denim. Upright skinny jeans covered the back of the dress and stretched far beyond her pointy pumps, mimicking the shape of a train.
Naomi Campbell closed out Paris Couture Week in upside down denim.
Since the party was hosted by Chopard, Campbell elevated the denim design with mounds of diamonds. First, she frosted herself with layered diamond necklaces and an oversize statement ring, likely on loan from the Swiss luxury jeweler. Gemstone bracelets in black, teal, and pink added some vibrancy to her all-black attire. Pointy pumps and paparazzi-blocking sunglasses, both in black, finished her post-show set.
Naomi frosted her denim dress with gemstones galore.
After a healthy dose of internet sleuthing, I found the original look: Campbell's denim hails from Balenciaga Fall 2024 Couture, which debuted this time last year at €55,000. According to the brand's website, the black-wash denim named "Cement" is "cut, placed, and sewn to form this bustier-shaped dress with side panels," in a process spanning 180 hours in the atelier. On the catwalk, the model wore it with stark white opera gloves and Balenciaga Knife Pumps.
A model wore Naomi's denim dress in the Balenciaga Couture 2024 show.
Look 28 marked Campbell's second Balenciaga moment of the day. A few hours earlier, she followed Kim Kardashian on the Fall/Winter 2025 Couture catwalk. The supermodel shined in a sequin-embroidered black bustier dress with pointed cups. The strapless silhouette bared a striking resemblance to her evening ensemble—its price tag is also (probably) similar.
Naomi posed in a black sequin gown on the Balenciaga Couture 2025 runway.
Campbell has modeled for Balenciaga shows on various occasions, so she had no issues getting her hands on the €55,000 look. Lucky for us, other upside-down dresses are available for under $2,000. Shop our favorites below.
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Meguire Hennes is the fashion staff writer at Marie Claire, where she breaks down the celebrity looks living rent-free in her head (and yours). Whether a star is walking the red carpet or posing on Instagram, Meguire will tell you who they're wearing and why. When she's not gushing about A-listers from J.Law to Rihanna, Meguire also covers breaking industry news.
Previously, Meguire was the fashion news writer at The Zoe Report. She received a bachelor's degree in fashion studies at Montclair State University, and has freelanced at Bustle, Women's Health, Well+Good, and more. You can find her words across the fashion, beauty, health, and wellness verticals, because her Libra moon wouldn't let her settle on one beat. Follow her on Instagram for BTS moments from her Marie Claire era.