Ruffles, ruffles and some more ruffles. At the Balmain Fall/Winter 2016-2017 runway, the beautiful Kendall turned into a blonde and Gigi Hadid went brunette, but it was jaw-dropping at best!
Today, Olivier Rousteing reinvented the Jolie Madame in his own special – albeit wonderful – way and models stoked the flames with utter confidence and sophistication. They emerged onto the runway owning their clothes ever- so majestically, with thigh-high suede boots, corset-like dresses and savvy maxi coats. Their heads held high, they moved with serenity and elegance, harboring dresses with a baroque print at times and corset jumpsuits with a myriad of laces and ruffles on the side at other times. They might as well be called Renaissance princesses in the body of a Balmain diva. The garments were so body-bearing that they could have almost doubled as a voluptuous second skin and no one would ever refute it. Picture bold-shouldered crop blazers with matching high-wasted pants embellished with discrete vertical stripes for a much-wanted elongated silhouette. Outfits erupted with pastel colors, thick belts at the waist and the ravishing signature Macramé pattern. The latter was literally everywhere, and the crowd went wild for it. One metallic dress in particular was that of a sultry warrior and Rousteing’s inner rebel couldn’t go unnoticed.
Young Olivier Rousteing showed people today multi-cultural diversity through his eyes. The result? Nothing short of a French masterpiece, a crown waiting to be placed. Yes, Balmain will prevail- if it already hasn’t!
Cindy Menassa