Before autumn is showroom season. And of all the showrooms we visit, Balmain’s 9th arrondissement sales center is one of the busiest. The models seem to be having a lot of fun as they roam the space wearing rotating looks, both in womenswear on the ground floor and menswear in the basement. While the in-house retail team and wholesale visitors appear firmly focused, the tone of conversation is high with laughter. What matters is that the designer exists.
Olivier Rousteing moves from one section of the collection to another as the models pass by. Despite the cozy atmosphere, Rousteing says he works to create tension by digging into dichotomies. There is a central tension here between the aristocratic, historic glamor of Versailles and the democratic, modern élan of Paris. Rousteing’s negotiations include a typical Balmain peak-lapel tailored jacket with a mini-pannier explosion at the waist. This creates extreme symmetry when juxtaposed with the huge-shouldered marabout belted jacket that passes by immediately after. The evening dresses combine grand textures (chandelier-worthy cut crystals, golden buttons embossed with coats of arms) with scanty silhouettes that border on ephemerality. Drape tops and dresses are cut in a spectrum of trompe l’oeil stones, giving them a classic, weathered statuesque look. Wrapped mini skirts and jackets are made from brocade frog over densely woven cotton linen. Meanwhile, the white cashmere sweater features two parallel horizontal grids that simultaneously reference the Breton shirt and Balmain’s classic officer jacket.
Surrounding the structure are slouches of diamond-quilted leather and denim (plus crystal-embellished denim worthy of Versailles) and oversized contemporary military outerwear in leopard and cheetah. Tweed, which accounts for about 30% of daywear sales, is being informalized by color, embellishment, cut and combination with leather, according to Rousteing. Hardware includes founder-favorite belt charms and jeweled gold chains, as well as large buckle belts with details on bags and powerfully cinched-waisted envelope dresses. Rousteing said he has not yet decided on a name for the new shibori-style belted bags, which will be made from a variety of materials from rattan to leather. A “cinch” would be perfect (if it wasn’t already tightened somewhere).
Tailoring is often the central intersection between menswear and womenswear. With half an eye on the upcoming Met Gala’s black dandyism theme, Rousteing invoked the hometown version of the well-dressed archetype, citing Titty Parisienne’s urchin swagger. A silk robe suit and scarf-front silk shirt made for a starting point via Beau Brummell at Balmain, after which he opted for a high-waisted Laurapel suit with decadent gold hardware and wickedly peaked stacked heel boots. Plunge into pants with a hem high enough to show off. Topped with Parisian newsboy caps and further belted, these looks mix 1940s and 1970s sartorial structures and push them into a very French futurism.
One particular highlight is the fur-lined tricolor slide soccer cleat, which Rousteing says will be called “Halftime” and features a convincing professional-grade cleat. It is said that There’s also a menswear equivalent of modern oversized military outerwear, as well as a slightly more substantial version of the gorgeous cocoon coat seen upstairs. As Rousteing returned there, he said: “This is a fresh expression of our DNA. After 15 years at Balmain, I am committed to I became more and more convinced of how important it is to continue to value and focus on deepening and developing it, because as soon as you stop, someone else will take it away. Besides, I don’t think trends are relevant anymore. As soon as a trend comes out, everyone jumps on it and it quickly becomes irrelevant. It’s much better to be yourself.”
