BALMAIN FALL WINTER 2017-18 COLLECTION – PARIS FASHION WEEK

The Show Must Go On.

It will surprise absolutely no one to hear me say that music forms an essential component of Balmain’s singular and recognizable style. For as long as I can remember, music and fashion have been completely intertwined—that’s simply how my generation grew up. I cannot conceive of one without a full helping of the other.

Knowing that, it may also not be the biggest surprise to see that today’s show follows, roughly, the classic trajectory of a rock anthem. Opening with the relaxed ease of layered knitwear that builds upon last season’s slouchy silhouette, our diverse runway steadily escalates—moving through plays of camos, denim, studded leathers, plaids and graphic black-and-whites—before finally ending with a full-throated roar that accompanies rich colors paired with an impressive offering of the type of detailed embellishments that our atelier is celebrated for.

The runway’s final crescendo underlines this collection’s debt to the spirit and style of the hardest of the ‘80s hard rockers—men who paired hyper-masculine, who-gives-a-fuck primal screams with eye-catching looks that consistently challenged accepted standards and fluidly crossed over the barriers of outdated gender norms. That daring confident style pulses through today’s runway, its soundtrack and, of course, the collection itself.

After a year marked by a series of tragic losses of those legends whose unique talents, rebellious nonconformity and incredible styles marked us all, this reminder of the liberating power of music feels particularly right for today.

Olivier Rousteing