March 4, 2022 |
Olivier Rousteing has spent the last decade creating party dresses with the properties of armour. Structural, sharp and emblazoned in embellishments, he designs with the intention of making his loyal clientele, who he has long dubbed the Balmain army, feel strong and courageous through their day-to-day.
When it came to starting his AW22 collection a few months back, the designer was fixated on protective gear: compression pads, militaristic silhouettes, tactical garb. Back then, it was a personal journey of Rousteing’s to combat his growing digital anxiety of being on social media and the pressure it placed on his physical and mental health. But as war ripped through Ukraine this past week, it’s difficult not to see these clothes in a different context.
“Our men’s and women’s collections may seem to be inspired by the anxiety-inducing headlines of the past week. But, of course, such a quick reaction could never have been possible,” the designer clarified in his show notes. “My team and I have been preparing these designs for months and our runway offerings were almost 100% completed before previously inconceivable scenarios and images began dominating our evening news and nightmares.”
The collection stemmed from Rousteing’s “unhealthy obsession” with covering up the scarring from a freakish burn accident he endured in 2020. “Ultimately, that experience helped push me to realize that the only possible response to the incredible shaming potential of social media is to face it head on,” he said. 106 looks strong, many of the pieces came inspired by the bandaging that coated Rousteing’s frame for months on end: fashioned here from neoprene and spliced with tough rubber and metal torsos. Denim was cut wide and met with cartoonish platforms, smudgy trompe-l’œil prints of the naked body and Star Wars-esque tailoring.
A closing procession of sci-fi ball gowns proved Rousteing is determined to push the Balmain woman beyond her comfort zone. She may be the best dressed at the party, but it’s her attitude that’s light years ahead.
Photography courtesy by Jason Lloyd-Evans.
