Like 9/11 in New York, the November terrorist attacks were a defining moment for Paris and the people who lived through them. The subject kept coming up last week at the menswear shows, and this morning at a Pre-Fall appointment, Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing acknowledged their impact on him and his new collection. “Paris is the City of Light, and I want to switch on the lights again,” he said, rattling off a list of influences that included Versailles and Madame de Pompadour, the official chief mistress of Louis XV. The rococo influences came across in lavish jacquards, fringed tassels, and an emphasis on pastel hues, but especially in Rousteing’s new use of the corset, which was layered over a long ruffled lace dress and built into a fitted jacket with hook-and-eye fastenings. Either way, it’s likely to appeal to the body-conscious Balmain girl. The exaggerated pannier hips on miniskirts might be a bit more of a leap for her, but not so unusual as to be intimidating.
The other development was a strapless, décolletage-baring gown with a narrow skirt of densely beaded fringe. When it was suggested to Rousteing that it looked almost like couture, he hinted that the idea of a Balmain couture collection is not such a far-off possibility. The brand is definitely in expansion mode; a new children’s line was announced today. Made to measure or not, there’s a high likelihood that the embellished dress in question will end up on a red carpet before awards season is over.
