The show must go on

Balmain FW17
By Kinza Shenn | Fashion | 22 January 2017
The season so far has served up a series of reflections on the sorry affairs of 2016. At Balmain, Olivier Rousteing gave thoughts on the music icons the world lost over the year. But his notes for the season read, “the show must go on.” In this spirit, he threw a high-octane rock opera, choreographed with urgently flashing lights, and a set list of hard-rock ballads. (Think classics like Scorpion’s Still Loving You, and Bon Jovi’s It’s My Life. Amazing).
The show was devised to follow the structure of a rock anthem, starting small, and building to crescendo. It opened with khakis and camouflage, and lounge shapes, like sweats and cardies. This was, for the most part, done with typical Balmain bling: sequin appliqués, embroidered beasts, burnished studs. It swelled into an embellished extravaganza, hitting many tropes of rockstar attire: acid-destroyed denim, red tartan, exotic skins, egotistically sized leather jackets.
But, back to the military stylings of the first half of the show, it’s official: next season’s menswear will be painted in camouflage. What a relief it must be, for the Balmain Army, that their leader has them covered.

GALLERYCatwalk images from Balmain FW17





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