Balmain Spring 2018: Americana Meets Francophilia

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For the Spring 2018 Balmain collection, Olivier Rousteing put forth his ideal wardrobe comprised of his signature staples and mixed it with the classic silhouettes from the Balmain archives, in essence, creating his version of a Balmain uniform for the everyday man. The collection featured the typical embellishments, ornate and Victorian era details, but with the modern day wardrobe essentials of an androgynous rockstar: skintight black jeans, Western-inspired silver-tipped ankle boots, and a signature trophy jacket. The offerings were all far more wearable than previous seasons and were carefully assembled with an everyday wardrobe in mind.

 

 
For those brave souls, rock ‘n’ roll jackets dripping in fringe, leather, and studs, with white swirls inspired by the baroque interiors of French palaces are sure to command attention. The jackets ranged from boxy boucle numbers lined with large, chunky silver chains much like Chanel’s, to classic black leather embellished with eye-catching shiny studs, crystals or other sparkles, to ones inspired by cowboys with dripping in fringe. In a nod to Bohemia, tie-dye made an appearance in dark washes from head to toe and worn with black gladiator sandals. A French nautical theme of stripes and crests appeared alongside beige and black leather safari jackets. In celebration of all things French, traditional Breton stripes were done in black as well as silver chainmail.

Rousteing also featured elements of Americana. Western fringe dominated along with longline sweaters and jackets modeled after the American flag in non-stereotypical black and white sequins. A tan fringed jacket reminiscent of Native American culture was sent out over ripped, studded jeans. On the women, boots were laced up like a corset all the way up to mini-skirt hemlines and beyond. There were also tutu dresses and mini skirts inspired by his collaboration with the Paris Opéra Ballet. The Balmain collection would not be complete of course without a number of heavily embellished dresses in the brand’s recognizable silhouette.

 

See Every Look From Balmain Spring 2018

“I felt myself pushed to create an even more personal runway offering – one that best reflects how I feel and dress today.”

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