The collection that Olivier Rousteing designed for Balmain for this Spring Summer 2020 is a tribute to the nineties and 2000s, considered to be the years in which pop culture reached its peak. “Fashion is always referencing the Eighties and the Seventies, but there is a new vintage that for me is the 2000s, it was Kylie who taught me that. Talking to her about my references, I realized that what speaks to me doesn’t speak to her. Her idea of vintage is the music of my generation. My Donna Summer is her Beyoncé,” said Rousteing.
The reference to Kylie Jenner is not accidental. Kylie has indeed collaborated with Balmain for the creation of a palette, put on sale immediately after the fashion show. Kylie would also have had to be head of make-up at Balmain's fashion show, but could not fly to Paris for health reasons. Her mother, Kris Jenner, was however present at the show.
Rousteing also delved into the archives of Pierre Balmain, but this collection does not lack innovative elements. One above all, the asymmetry of single-leg pants.
Some have criticized this collection, calling it inconsistent. Olivier Rousteing, however, knows his creations are not for everyone: “I call Balmain the guilty pleasure, because it’s not a brand that follows trends. It creates its own codes, and for me, it’s important to remain true to yourself. Sometimes people like it, and sometimes they don’t, but I always say I’d rather be disliked for who I am than liked for who I’m not,” he told WWD.
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Words by Elena Affricani