Quiet luxury doesn’t exist in the world of Balmain, and rightly so! It’s been a while since we’ve seen a full-blown menswear show from Olivier Rousteing, who since Covid has opted for lookbooks and intimate showroom showcases to unveil his opulent men’s collections. Never one to do things in halves, his show on Saturday night was staged inside La Grande Halle de La Villette, a vast music hall East of the city. Famous faces, each suited and booted in Rousteing’s crystal-laden, wide-shouldered tailoring, lounged on cream coloured sofas which lined the spacious catwalk.
The show was roughly divided into three sections. The first saw puckered-up lips and close-up eyes dance along bomber jackets, dress shirts, matching sets that came laden with kisses and a crystal-embellished topcoat that featured a face generated using AI technology. He then lent into the sartorial excellence of Congo’s Sapeurs via a parade of high-waisted trousers and sharp jackets each in glorious shades of turquoise, red, yellow and purple. Some pieces came littered with polka dots, while others featured beautiful prints envisioned by Rousteing’s ongoing collaborator Prince Gyasi, whose work is informed by life in his hometown of Accra, Ghana.
Taking things down a surrealist route for the show’s crescendo, models came clad in solid gold coats, durag-inspired crowns and vest tops constructed from a symphony of glamorous necklaces – all before Naomi Campbell closed things out in a camel overcoat paired with an impressive belt buckle made from a shiny bouquet. Welcome back to the menswear schedule, Olivier, oh how we’ve missed you!
Photography courtesy of Balmain.
