The Balmain SS’22 presentation took place during Paris Fashion Week and the runway show was nothing but go big or go home. There were gold accents everywhere, ‘raggish’ designs that say the GenZ bad fashion trend, there were also some archival designs that say not a ‘standardized fashion’ – I’m talking about the millennial designs that can fit any generation of fashion trends.
The fashion show started with the much younger generation models and the designs of what they were wearing encapsulated it all. There wear sashes made into fringes, Balmain’s take on the thong peeping trousers was tidied up, where he made a side slash cutout on low rise trousers. The designs were mainly urban, and very modern-day looks. Many of the house designs on this runway had ‘fly-away sash trains’ incorporated in them which you can either love or hate. The love or hate emotion around these designs is a beautiful thing by the way, because it’s what makes them now.
There were suit looks with cold shoulders and gold accents, the gold accents that come in either in shoes or jewelry. There were puffer bags, oversized clutch bags, all with gold chain accents. There were also patent leather made into a ‘linked chain inspired crop tops, dresses, skirts e.t.c. The slit hem trousers and draped backless blazers were incorporated into the men’s suit looks, there were stripy and polka dot prints, there were puffer sandals, alot of ruching detailings e.t.c. The first show can be described in a nutshell as a ‘complex sophisticated shic’ because Olivier took different complex or trash and made them into wearable fashion. Kudos!
Finally, the unstandardized Millenial show started with the iconic model walking down the aisle, I’m talking about Ms. Naomi Campbell wearing the fashion house’s signature design, many other models featured this runway wearing modern vintage designs that range from net dresses, fur-like mini dresses, embellishments, embroidery, appliques, some dresses woven in African print pattern e.t.c.
Rousteing celebrated his 10th-year anniversary at the fashion house acknowledging his Africaness/his blackness with Beyonce’s pre-recorded opening speech that says; She met Rousteing back in 2013, a very young 25year old designer and not only young but unique, unique young black designer, the first black designer to head the fashion house. She reiterated this saying “who had a hard time imagining someone who looked like [him] could lead up a Parisian couture house.”
Rousteing designs are always big or go home, what some called vulgar. His designs can be related to Versace, Chanel, Dior, Fendi but then these iconic fashion houses celebrate urban style but mostly safely celebrated. When compared to Balmain, it’s always like twice as big of their designs made into Balmain aesthetics, he never lost himself when compared to these legendary fashion houses. Never did we know he was screaming ‘I’m An Iconic Black Designer!’ where he worked twice as hard just to be acknowledged as an Iconic designer like them. Well. he was heard, when the celebrities from Beyonce, Naomi Campbel, Precious Lee, Alva Claire, Carla Bruni, and other iconic figures (The Balmain Army) can’t help but celebrate him with over 6,000 audiences at his show.
The collection overall can simply be described as “Fresh, audacious, empowering,” according to Beyonce.
Check out the full spring summer 2022 collection below:
By Lola Joseph
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