After a long wait of 16 years, the Balmain is returning to set the couture runways on fire!
The return is taking place under the creative helm of Olivier Rousteing, who has been applauded for the revolutionary boost the high fashion house has witnessed since he joined it as the Creative Director in 2011. This push in popularity is the emblematic of the success of the Balmain Army, a closely-knit group of highly influential poster girls and runway models created by Rousteing.
The announcement was made by the French designer at the WWD’s Retail & Apparel CEO Summit where he mentioned his plans “to bring back the Parisian DNA,” by the revival of the couture division. The haute couture shows scheduled to take place in January will witness Rousteing’s inaugural couture show. He also revealed that he has “set sights set on accessories, fragrance and cosmetics too”.
The venture comes with a promise of good influx of business as Balmain’s ready-to-wear inculcates about 80% of the total business. The last couture show for Balmain happened in 2002 when designer Oscar de la Renta was the Creative Director of the company.
This adds yet another feather to Rousteing’s hat as he has been moulding the brand’s expansion plans since 2011 via various collaborations. The brand could reached wider audiences in varying prices by Rousteing’s collaborations with Victoria’s Secret collaboration in 2017, and H&M collaboration in 2015.
“A lot of people love Balmain but can’t afford it, and with the lipstick they can get into the Balmain universe in an affordable way. I create a world that is expensive because with Balmain it’s luxury, but if you think of my ideas and ideologies it’s more than a price on the clothes,” he explained.
The couture initiative might not go hand in hand with the lower price point strategies but spells out the underlying potential of the brand’s integrity and craftsmanship which is not just limited to RTW.
