Balmain Ready To Wear Fall Winter 2017 Paris

The planet bags were novel and fun, the velvet boots bedecked in shine. Of course, there is only one designer for whom the crown of bling can go to, and that is Olivier Rousteing at Balmain. He took the idea of heavy metal back to its core, in a collection that picked back up where the menswear outing just over a month ago had left off: music. [CONTINUE READING...]

Gold, bling, streamers and strands of beads and sequins, stud work and plenty of eyeliner, this picked right back up from where Rousteing's menswear collection left: music's influence on fashion. Rock out. [CONTINUE READING...]

This season, some male designers also presented ideas of a strong, empowered femininity: at Balmain, Olivier Rousteing turned top models Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner into fierce huntresses and gypsy queens. [CONTINUE READING...]

Gigi Hadid, the media goddess, transformed into a desert priestess. Hair tightly pulled up into cornrows, with a long ponytail at the back. The kiss of an Amazonian killer, lips bearing a stripe of sculpted gold. The first of Oliver Rousteing’s Balmain women, building a global silhouette for the French house. Elements that move between Africa, the Far West and the Amazon. “I was a child when Nirvana were at their peak, but their powerful music of rebellion definitely made an impact on me. And continues to do so even today,” explained Olivier Rousteing, “those liberating words, encouraging us to ignore the rules and stay faithful to ourselves.” Reaching Nirvana to touch the things the designer holds dear. Nirvana going wild on the soundtrack, becoming an emotional souvenir. A remix of Sweet Dreams blends in with that golden age, soft lines, fringes that ripple with every movement, tie dye treatments. Then, Aerosmith’s “Dream On” as we move into exotic skins, nude, trompe-l'œil inserts. Followed by patchwork jackets with studs, concert style T-Shirts with canine heads. Necklaces with leather and animal print. Bold, statement, an exotic safari, revisiting the prints of the house’s founder, Pierre Balmain. Until we arrive at the finale of woven black: shiny, perfect for a warrior.

By Stefano Roncato - MFF Magazine for Fashion

Watch the livestream of the Balmain show ready-to-wear collection Fall/Winter 2017 from Paris.