AN OPULENT staircase with golden banisters and red velvet led up to a gilded salon inside Paris’ Hotel de Ville.
It was the fairytale setting for designer Olivier Rousteing’s fashion spectacle for Balmain that quickly put to rest any question about which Paris Fashion Week show would be the day’s biggest.
Rousteing is a showman and no detail goes unmissed—including incorporating the dazzling spirit of the storied City Hall into the shimmering clothes.
One of the first looks—a loose silvery top and sheer, sheeny cropped pants—sported teardrop paillettes that mirrored the hall’s 15 large crystal chandeliers.
Disco was at the heart of this high-energy early Eighties-themed collection that featured 90 sparkle-heavy ensembles. Guests smiled and tapped their feet as the infectious disco soundtrack included Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.”
Horizontal stripes across the torso were this season’s leitmotif. It produced a catchy blue-and-black sequined jacket worthy of Michael Jackson and was twinned with sensual black PVC pants.
Flashes of neon yellow produced the show’s most standout looks such as a jaw-dropping fur coat.