Chloe Chase Tebbutt
Edited by Lucy Kaskie
Paris Fashion Week is perhaps one of the fashion industry’s most revered events of the year, and is highly anticipated among fashion fanatics world wide. Naturally this high pressure brings disaster, with past mishaps ranging from unfinished runways and ill-fitting garments, to tumbling models and unwanted protests. But for Balmain, tragedy struck this year, leaving emotions high-strung. Two weeks prior to their Spring 2024 collection debut, the high-fashion French house founded by Pierre Balmain in 1945, had a truck delivering clothes intercepted and stolen.
The unfortunate incident came to light when Balmain’s creative director Olivier Rousteing posted on Instagram of the incident. He rehashed what had happened earlier in the morning, leaving the fashion world speechless.
“Today, I went to the office at 9 a.m. waiting for the latest pieces for our show– our Balmain show in September,” Rousteing stated. “I was starting to create some looks with my team, when our driver called us and said he was hijacked by a group of people.”
Much of the frustration Rousteing expressed came not at the monetary cost of what was stolen, but the effort he and his team put into the collection as 50 of the clothing pieces were stolen.
“So many people worked so hard to make this collection,” he wrote. “We are redoing everything, but this is so disrespectful. We won’t give up.”
True to their word, Balmain’s team and suppliers were able to recreate 70% of the stolen articles of clothing, resulting in a smaller collection of 52 pieces and a more intimate show with 250 guests.
The clear effort and precision in Rousteing’s work, despite this incident, is truly admirable. Balmain still demonstrated their versatility in textiles and texture, managing to convey a sense of playful sophistication. Despite the unfortunate hijacking, Rousteing had an incredibly well-rounded collection. There were structurally striking bodices, leather garments, flowing dresses, and even touches of 80s fashion such as statement blazers and bold colours.
Here are some top highlights of the show.
1. Every. Single. Shoe.
The footwear was unexpectedly a standout. Many looks feature a simple inch-long heel with a square toe– a classic that is also seen in higher versions and different colours. They’re easy to style with enough flair that they are sure enough to stand out– the definition of the perfect ready-to-wear heel.
Yet there were also shoes designed to take your breath away. Specifically these black heels featuring floral decorations crafted from patent leather. These, along with the structurally captivating red rose heels, truly highlight Balmain’s focus on detail and the care that its team puts into its work.
2. All the Polka-Dots
Polka-dots have been done time and time again, thus becoming a bit of a tired design. In its Spring 2024 collection, Balmain renewed them into a playful yet sophisticated look, appearing as a forefront of the designs the show heavily focused on. Featured in this floor-length gown with simple short red heels, the polka-dots are combined with a trendy rosette knotted in the middle of the dress.
It is hard to use big pleated material in contrast to a light, airy evening gown– one wrong move, and its bulkiness can overtake the dress, making it unflattering.This look highlights Rousteing’s expertise in textural manipulation. It is definitely a favourite look from the show.
The polka-dots are also featured in designs with retro necklines donned with transparent flowers, allowing for an intriguing silhouette. Zendaya recently stepped out in this design.
3. Embellished Pieces
Towards the end of the show, Balmain amazed its guests with these loud-luxury garments–most notably a gold minidress that mimics a bird cage. With golden flowers creeping up the torso and shoulders, and blue, pink and silver encrusted birds flying along the bodice, the dress is truly well done. It incorporates colour, wildlife, and florals without giving the piece a gimmicky look. We’ll be seeing these pieces from Balmain’s spring collection hit the red carpet shortly.
4. The ‘Cutesy’ Leather Edition
Balmain carved and twisted leather into an interesting concept on its runway. Rousteing made the material into minidresses and bodices, with different textural elements added on top of them. One orange mini dress features vibrant, leather flowers covering half of it. While this look isn’t a favourite as it is a bit too beach-ball-esque, Rousteing’s delicate craftsmanship with leather is acknowledged. A preferred look in this category is this striking, structured corset with protruding hips. Though setting the hips to be lower to create a drop-waist would certainly be eye-catching, Balmain’s Spring 2024 collection features many designs with this high-hip style. The light, opaque blue is a stunning contrast to the pink and dark red translucent flowers. The matching glasses are a stunning addition.
Olivier Rousteing must be commended for the wonderful, refreshing collection he created despite having his pieces stolen. He and his team worked day and night, managing to release a bright, intimate runway that truly encapsulates spring sophistication all within two weeks. To reiterate, we will be seeing these looks hit the red carpet shortly. Bravo, Olivier Rousteing, you did it with this one.
References:
Vogue (Runway+All pictures included are photographed by Vogue): https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2024-ready-to-wear/balmain/slideshow/collection#48
New York Post (Information about Hijacking): https://nypost.com/2023/09/19/balmains-latest-collection-stolen-from-hijacked-truck-weeks-before-paris-fashion-week-debut/
Women’s Wear Daily: https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/balmain-hit-by-robbery-british-vogues-big-week-wintour-naomi-campbell-turns-out-for-mains-1235817484/
The Cut: https://www.thecut.com/2023/09/who-stole-balmains-latest-collection.html
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/sep/28/olivier-rousteing-shrugs-off-robbery-to-helm-glossy-balmain-show
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