On May 30 last year, the French fashion house Balenciaga released a short film for its 2024 Spring Collection in Paris. Set to the music of French chanson Sous le Ciel de Paris by Edith Piaf, it depicts Parisians basking in bright sunlight.

Suddenly, a heavy downpour ensues, but people continue to go about their daily activities unperturbed, clad in their shimmering, expensive evening gowns.

Nobody could predict, a year later, the downpour from the film would turn into reality, this time in Shanghai instead of Paris.

Balenciaga had planned to unveil its Spring 2025 show on May 30 at the Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai. During the rehearsal the day before, the outdoor runway on the terrace of the museum along the Huangpu River offered a view of Shanghai's iconic skyline, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.