Carla Bruni and Naomi Campbell walk the runway for Olivier Rousteing’s tenth anniversary at Balmain

Ten years ago, at the young age of 25, Olivier Rousteing took over as artistic director of Balmain, taking the illustrious house founded in 1945 to the pinnacle of fame with collections tailored for celebrities, flamboyant fashion shows, and a sensational media presence. A star among stars, the French designer is also at the center of a moving documentary and organized for the second time a music festival with 6000 guests during which Jessie Joe Stark, Doja Cat and Franz Ferdinand performed. This is not surprising for this self-confessed music lover who invited Yseult for his couture collection in 2020 and dressed Beyoncé for her concert at Coachella in 2018. It was with a speech by the latter that the spring-summer 2022 show of the house, which celebrated its decade at Balmain, began.

Very personal, this collection – ultra graphic by its use of black and white – undoubtedly draws on the designer’s youth and offers a reinterpretation of 90s and 2000s fashion with his ultra-sexy power dressing, low-rise pants and pop star micro-dresses. The collection contains numerous references to his previous collections, such as fringes and metal weaves, gathers and quilts made by Lesage. There are also 3D molded and draped creations – which echo Zendaya’s dress at the Venice Film Festival – made using innovative molding techniques. Finally, last year, after an accident that caused him many burns, he spent several months recovering. A painful episode that inspired her to create some dresses made from light bandages that evoke bandages and compresses, as well as strap details and golden bandage-like rings to hide the scars. 

To close this already emotional show, Olivier Rousteing gives us a grandiose finale, which is reminiscent of the fall-winter 2021 collection, or the tribute show of the house of Versace to its founder Gianni in 2017. Naomi Campbell, Adut Akech, Natalia Vodianova, Mila Jovovitch, so Joo Park, Lara Stone, Cindy Bruna, Karen Elson, appeared more glamorous than ever in looks from the house’s archives reissued in precious and luxurious versions. It was under a general ovation,the supermodel, singer and former first lady Carla Bruni closed this show, dressed in a rigid mini dress entirely embroidered, inspired by an iconic model of the house from the fall-winter 2012 collection. More than ever, Olivier Rousteing is a rock star and the Balmain house has a bright future ahead of it.