A moment for the white pearl-encrusted elephant in front row. Olivier Rousteing‘s #1 fan Kanye West—with assorted members of the Kardashian clan—was nearly falling out of his seat with clear bro-love for the Balmain designer (and possibly picking out Kim’s outfits for her postpartum doctor’s appointments). Kanye was wearing a Balmain jacket, gorgeously embroidered with pearls, over his own gray hoodie, taking the whole high-low to a whole new level and just drawing attention just how good young Rousteing’s vision and his atelier’s execution are.
The fall collection he presented felt like Balmain—tight and curvy, sexy, suggestive, a uniform for his squad of models (including Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner who swapped hair colors for the show) who wear him off-duty. There were military details and the strict tailoring that keeps a girl held in all the right places, as well as the body-con leggings and pants.
Along with white and black, Rousteing sent out steely blue and pale pink. The juxtaposition of these softer hues against corset shapes and cage-like embroideries and Baroque patterns—all cinched with wide metal belts—was striking.
It had movement and sound thanks to the swish of a thousand ruffles, frills and tassels that hung and clung from body-con silhouettes. Mini skirts, floor-length gowns and skin-tight pants all featured some kind of swing or swish. Even revealing lace jumpsuits sported tendrils of frills down the side of each leg.
Rousteing has carefully created a signature silhouette, an ideal of the feminine form—one with a strong shoulder, cinched waist and moulded hip. It’s a hyper version of the classic form that, psychologically, is being torn to shreds by a new standard of woman. Yeah, you could make a case that it’s just another man’s point of view, but take a look at how Rousteing lives his life—his Balmain army is filled to the brim with female generals who are just as influential as he is.
From: Harper’s BAZAAR US
