It’s been 16 years since Balmain produced a couture line, and this is the first under Olivier Rousteing, who apparently told media that he went through the atelier’s archives for inspiration. He talked about bringing it back to French elegance, which… I am not sure simply using a pastel palette entirely does that, because this mostly feels like a wild futuristic ride. There are a couple hallmarks of the ready-to-wear line’s shapes — those broad shoulders — but it’s mostly a melange that feels inspired by how much crackpot fun other designers often have with their highest of high-fashion lines, as if Balmain decided it was missing out on the party.
