Glitz, glamour, glitter, and glory—what a show. Creative Director Olivier Rousteing pulls out all the stops for his 10th anniversary Paris Fashion Week spectacular, set at La Seine Musicale. The show is in conjunction with the second ever Balmain Festival, taking place Sept. 28-29. The festival is a benefit, fundraising for the HIV/AIDS fighting organization RED, while celebrating music, dancing, cinema, and the arts. The Spring/Summer 2022 collection was presented on the second evening of the festival, in a wondrous extravaganza of black, white, red, and gold. 

 

Despite being shown on a shiny black stage with lit back panels and upbeat pop and hip hop music, the collection holds its own as eye-catching in its own right. The runway performance begins with an array of chic black and white ensembles with body hugging forms, cutouts revealing plenty of skin, and classic stripes and polka dot patterns. High waisted bodysuits paired with leather and pops of gold contribute to the overall sexy quality of the collection. As you can see in the models’ strong struts—from Precious Lee to Imaan Hammam—these clothes are bound to make anyone feel powerful on and off the runway. 

 

 

While the designs and color palette represent timeless Parisian chic, the collection is anything but stuffy or drab. Tweed jackets and skirts are met with rips and cutouts for a fresh take on the classic material. Gold chains accessorize and embellish everything from dresses to tops—one backless crop top is itself one large gold chain—embracing opulence and drama without losing elegance and style.  

 

 

Quilted leather in black and then neutral tones add edge and an element of street style. One particular accessory—the backpack jacket—makes an appearance a few times and is among the forward thinking arena of streetwear. More neutral shades, of beige and tan, don bodycon, hooded dresses, while thin fabrics in white create an elaborate wrap dress, and pops of red make a stunning appearance on one such mini dress made from red chains—all to say, the collection celebrates feeling empowered and sexy with contemporary designs.    

 

 

 

And then, as if the show couldn’t get any more lavish, the lights go out and an audio track begins to play, honoring Rousteing’s legacy. The lights come back on, one of the panels slides open, and supermodel icon Naomi Campbell appears donning a long sleeve, gold chain crochet midi dress. The Olivier Rousteing pizazz that we know and love has arrived. 

 

 

 

 

The most glamorous evening wear, full of sparkles and gold and jewels and embroidery—and of course a bit of crochet—sashays its way down the runway. Bejeweled biker shorts with a matching jacket and a body hugging, sleeveless unitard reinvent what it means to be glamorous. Along with Naomi, high fashion idols Karen Elson and Carla Bruni also make appearances. Paris and beyond has come together for this show to celebrate Rousteing’s impactful, decade-long legacy at Balmain. And, ensures our maintained excitement for future years of show-stopping Rousteing runways.