Paris Fashion Week: Balmain S/S 2012

loyal show full of all the signatures You might have been forgiven for thinking that Christophe Decarnin’s demise at Balmain – and Olivier Rousteing’s succession – was just another rumour having watched the Balmain show in Paris’ Grand Hotel

this afternoon.
“He obviously has a deep understanding of what has made Balmain so successful,” said Vogue’s fashion editor Fran Burns afterwards. “He’s really well versed in the DNA of the brand and it’s clear that he knows what the Balmain woman wants."

Having worked with Decarnin (whose tenure officially came to an end in April after five years with the house, the most recent of which were beleaguered with rumours of his ill health), at Balmain since 2009, Rousteing put on a loyal show today full of all the signatures: investment jackets with built up shoulders, leather hot pants, skinny mini dresses and tight leather jeans.

It’s for very sexy, very rich girls – their hair slicked back into high ponytails, all the better to show off their bejewelled clothes beneath. Some pieces, embellished in ornate swirls which reflected the grand surrounding of the Rue Scribe venue, were teamed with pale denim jeans cut boyfriend-style, or full floor-length denim skirts, while a studded gold, glittering skirt might come with a more casual slash-neck sweatshirt.

Those, like the plain white cotton shirt that followed, heightened the vision value of leather dresses appliquéd with gold, rich floral brocades, tiny hot pants with high, jewel waistbands – some worn with leather bustiers – and leather trousers worn with huge metallic gold belts and encrusted vests fringed with white, black and gold stones.
“Makes you wonder how the other half live,” sang Michael Hutchence from the speakers – but with this peacock display of excess in front of us, there is little need to wonder.