BEHIND THE STITCH: ALANI
June 21, 2024
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Olivier Rousteing’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection for Balmain is a commanding return to the house’s theatrical DNA–an opulent expression of structure, sensuality, and surrealist vision. Staged under the ornate architecture of Paris’ Carrousel du Louvre, the show opened with models draped in commanding silhouettes that paid homage to both Pierre Balmain’s “New French Style” and Rousteing’s own early-era archives. The Balmain woman this season is carved like marble, adorned like royalty, and walked as if etched into myth. From the first sculpted blazer to the final silk sheath, the SS25 showcase painted a lavish portrait of fashion as wearable art–where clothing isn’t merely worn, but performed.
At the heart of the collection lies Rousteing’s exploration of “The Power Face”–a thematic throughline that quite literally shaped the garments. Portrait beading, crafted from hundreds of thousands of sequins and pearls, illustrated surreal human faces across sharply contoured gowns and jackets. These were not subtle prints, but fully dimensional art pieces stitched into the fabric with haunting precision. Clay-toned pieces were sculpted to resemble torsos and limbs, reminiscent of classical Greco-Roman busts, giving a museum-like gravitas to the runway. Yet, Rousteing doesn’t rest solely in antiquity–he pushes forward with a youthful flair, fusing baroque aesthetics with bold urban energy.
The clothes struck a dynamic balance between the house’s couture craftsmanship and everyday wearability. Signature double-breasted blazers returned in updated proportions; oversized shoulders, cinched waists, and exaggerated lapels often paired with skinny leather pants or embellished jeans. Sequined and rhinestone-embroidered logo tees made their way into the mix, redefining casualwear with an unapologetic flair. One of the most buzzed-about pieces was the pearl-chain marinière–a sailor-inspired knit reimagined with glistening gold and crystal adornments. Even staple items like trousers and denim bore Rousteing’s unmistakable fingerprint: grand, glitzy, and graphically bold.
The accessory story this season was equally commanding. Leading the charge were the now-viral thigh-high “lipstick boots”–crafted from glossy lambskin with mirror paneling, a square open toe, and finished off with a gold stiletto heel sculpted in the shape of a lipstick. These showstoppers weren’t just footwear; they were declarations of dominance. In contrast, the upcoming Fall/Winter 2025 preview offered softer alternatives–slouchy leather boots with a boho twist, styled with oversized sweaters and draped knits, hinting at a more intimate, lived-in vibe. This duality added dimension to the overall narrative of the show.
While the mid-section of the show received mixed reactions from critics who felt the pacing dipped slightly, the finale brought the audience roaring back. Minimalist silk gowns in champagne, ivory, and deep cocoa cascaded across the catwalk, worn by models of all skin tones and sizes–an homage to the diversity of the Balmain Army and the inclusive ethos Rousteing continues to champion. The closing look, a floor-length ivory sheath with delicate face embroidery at the hip, fused all the collection’s themes into one breathtaking moment: power, heritage, sensuality, and grace.
Balmain’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection is a testament to the brand’s ability to straddle multiple worlds; heritage and futurism, streetwear and couture, spectacle and sincerity. Olivier Rousteing once again proved why he remains one of fashion’s most daring visionaries. In a season where many houses are turning toward restraint, Balmain leaned in to remind us that fashion can still dazzle, provoke, and leave us breathless.
