The BALMAIN women's Spring-Summer 2022 collection marks Olivier Rousteing's tenth anniversary as artistic director for the Parisian brand. A collection therefore “anniversary” but also inspired by the accident causing the stylist severe burns. A painful experience that he transcribed in his pieces through stripes, weaves and strips. The volumes are XXL, the dresses are “chrysalides” and jackets are oversized bathrobe-style. Gold imposes itself in small touches on a sober palette. The Balmain’s monogram still manages to make its way through on clothing and accessories.
A look back at the history of a French and historic brand:
Maison Balmain was founded in 1945 by French designer Pierre Balmain. Her first collections at the time were very feminine, Parisian, elegant, and in sober tones. His approach to clothing, dubbed “new French style”, corresponds to a perpetual quest for modernity.
In 1954, Karl Lagerfeld, winner of the wool union competition, saw one of his sketches made by Balmain, which subsequently hired him. When Pierre Balmain passed away in 1982, Erik Mortensen, his first assistant since 1951, took over the haute couture torch until July 1990.
From 1993 to July 2002, Oscar de la Renta held the position of artistic director of the House and remained faithful to the "Jolie Madame" style with fluid and elegant models.
From February 2006, Christophe Decarnin took over the creation of women's ready-to-wear and from July 2008, also of the creation of men's ready-to-wear. His urban influences, added to his love of elegance, a bit opulent, allow him to introduce into the DNA of the brand a rock 'n' roll chic gene.
Since 2011, Maison Balmain has had as artistic director Olivier Rousteing, a young graduate of the Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD). Head of the Balmain design studio since 2009, he supervises the creation and development of the ready-to-wear collections for women and men.
