Olivier Rousteing treated us with a heavy dose of late eighties nostalgia for Balmain’s Resort 2021 collection, and damn, were we hit hard! Like Regina George just punched me in the face hard. Saying I’m obsessed is an understatement!!!
Escape with me to a French countryside picnic.
In an interview with Ana Colon for Fashionista.com, Rousteing (who photographed the entire collection himself) said this was a very emotional collection for everyone involved.
“It’s not a usual collection, where you have all the ways that you can make it happen. We knew that we had to be together, to hope, to cross fingers and, at the same time, to push.”
A former Balmain design team member, Anna Mayrhofer, opened up her castle in Normandy for the shoot. Rousteing and his army of workers and models took over the grounds for the most glorious picnic of all time.
When you really think about it, it is so true quarantine vibes because all we want to do is dress to the nines even to go to the grocery store! And here is a collection, set outside, doing the simplest things in life like enjoying the sunshine. It is totally over the top, but at the same time so relatable. I loved the Chanel look book for their Resort collection, but this blows them out of the water.
Gingham? Check!
Shoulder pads? Check!
Vintage style handbags? Check!
Sequins and gems? Check!
Oversized buttons? Check!
Horses?…… Check!
Chateau Gonneville sur Honfleur is set just outside of Paris. Known to the public as the Le Fluer guest house, Mayrhofer and her husband plan to open the property in August as a upscale bed & breakfast. She worked with Rousteing on the design team for 11 years before she stepped back to take time with her family.
Balmain’s creative director has been teasing the collection for a while now on his Instagram. We’ve seen videos of him wearing the loud color block sweaters and large sun shades. He even showed a clip of what the virtual buying experience would be like for retailers. The Weekend’s Blinding Lights playing inside of a digitally created Balmain universe, complete with female and male avatars dressed in the Resort designs which change as you hover over each look.
Rousteing is definitely using the digital channel to his power, to Balmain’s power, and that will take the brand far in this uncertain time of COVID-19. He is very transparent and consumers will be drawn to that, they are invited along for the ride. He was not shy about expressing his sadness over the changes happening around the globe and made it clear with this Resort collection….the show must go on!
He even started his presence on TikTok, making catchy videos with pop music playing in the background. My favorite video of his he posted was him trying to cook zucchini, he wasn’t all that great at it but he put himself out there! In the middle of chopping the vegetable, he realized it was a cucumber 😀 !!
“I felt like it was really, really important to not give up,” Rousteing said to Fashionista.com
What I really loved about the collection is that even though a lot of the clothes were obviously 80s inspired, we still saw some modern looks with classic blazers and jeans, and Bermuda length shorts. The brand also tapped into heritage style, bringing back the 1945 “Jolie Madame” look originally created by Pierre Balmain for his first collection of the same year.
The feminine silhouette of that time was honored through intricate embroidery, prominent shoulder pads and cinched waist lines. In the year 2020, Balmain honors where it came from while looking onto the horizon for a brighter future. This goes not only for Balmain, but the fashion industry in general.
“We wanted to challenge ourselves to make it happen during a really tough time and make sure that we can present a strong, vibrant and colorful collection, bringing joy and hope for the future,” Rousteing said.
“I think I just want to bring some energy and some beauty without, of course, forgetting what we went through,” Rousteing says. “Always after a storm, you want the sun.”
The menswear collection was just as loud and engaging. Fresh Prince of Bel Air, 90210, Melrose Place, Dynasty, Clueless…..you name it, Olivier Rousteing envisioned it into this Resort 2021 collection.
What looks to be excessive is actually not. The brand shot the collection without a major photographer. They did not fly any models in from other parts of the country. They used Zoom, Messenger and WhatsApp to create and work together even though they were all apart. They used what materials they had readily available and produced something magical. A true escape, recognizing the past and DNA of the fashion house, while honoring the future and where we may, or may not, be heading.
xoxo
Sources:
https://fashionista.com/2020/06/balmain-resort-2021
https://wwd.com/runway/resort-2021/paris/balmain/review/
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/resort-2021/balmain
All photos courtesy of Vogue.com via Balmain.
The Highend 