“
This fashion show is a tribute to France, through my adopted city, Bordeaux, and to Mr. Pierre Balmain
,” Olivier Rousteing tells us, in the preamble to his show for
Balmain
, Wednesday evening.
The general public still wrongly thinks that Balmain is a “pop” brand because I am one myself, it’s true.
But the founder of this house invented this “new French style”, the pretty madame, in the 1950s, which he exported throughout the world and in particular to the United States.
You have to see the reports from the time when, on a visit there, he spoke in perfect English.
It's important for me to pay tribute to its heritage, to my love for tailoring, cutting and more generally all the know-how that exists in our country.
France is our strength.
»
After the war, French haute couture, bloodless after the Occupation, set out to conquer the United States.
Lucien Lelong, Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain extol French elegance in the land of Uncle Sam. More than half a century later, its new ambassadors across the Atlantic are called Simon Porte Jacquemus, Marine Serre and Olivier Rousteing , the golden boy now at the head of the Balmain house.
Moreover, they were all there, our little Frenchies, at the call of Anna Wintour, popess of US Vogue, last Monday, who came to announce the arrival in Paris of her Vogue World event, right for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Two days later, bunches of grapes, here you go, printed on jacquard corolla skirts “
like the tapestries of the Bordeaux castles
”, covering a porcelain or resin bustier, falling like charms on the bags, in jewelry on the ears or in belts and clutches all in gold metal (if you can put something in them) punctuate this wardrobe with great technical mastery.
A true demonstration of the talent of Beyoncé's friend, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian.
They will probably not know what to choose between tube knit dresses, suits with peplums and ankle-length skirts, and this variation of around ten silhouettes around the trench coat which opens the show.
With these models of all ages - "
unconsciously no doubt a tribute to my adoptive mother
" (present in the front row) -, each more beautiful than the other, perched on wedge pumps with very high sculpted heels, the designer has wanted to “
celebrate the beauty of all horizons.
That’s also elegance.
»
Balmain fall-winter 2024-25 collection.
Balmain
As for his men's show in January, the American based in Paris
Rick Owens
invites a (very small) part of Fashion Week to his superb apartment overlooking the Place du Palais Bourbon.
It's a privilege as Owens is considered a master by his peers and an idol for all people who love fashion.
Obviously, his shows ask you to let yourself be carried away, not to look for the trend of the season but to believe in these women with dilated pupils (thanks to lenses), immense on their platform shoes.
They wear jumpsuits in sock knit or felted wool with a bust wrapped in quilted sausages.
Their accordion-style boots scrape the Hungarian parquet floor.
Censers hang from their necks.
In the hand, boxes sculpted in silver metal.
They walk as if hypnotized, as if they were joining a guru.
A jacquard cape takes up the name of the collection, “Porterville”, his hometown in California.
The mermaid dresses evoke a slightly deranged, borderline glamor like that of silent cinema of which Owens is a huge fan.
The lime greens, faded pinks, grays and taupes seen against the light from our seat contribute to this hushed, strange atmosphere, beautiful like music, that Shazam refuses to find for us...
Fall-winter 2024-25 collection by Rick Owens Valerio Mezzanotti/ Owenscorp