Comfort, performance and style are seldom co-habitants when it comes to footwear.
Balmain S/S2017 Mens Collection
July 10, 2016 2:00 PM
I love Olivier Rousteing. With his mastery of tailoring, aggressive ornamentation and use of innovative fabrics, it is easy to understand how the storied Parisian house founded by Pierre Balmain (a contemporary of Christian Dior and Hubert de Givenchy) would take a chance on a relatively unknown wunderkind when he was named creative director in 2011 at age 24. His willingness to take risks, his understanding of social media (he the fave designer of the Kardashian clan), and his faculty for designing party dresses that are both sexy and classy have made him a megastar on fashion's global stage.
Rousteing has increased sales and exposure for the Balmain house considerably. But the biggest surprise of his tenure is the expansion of Balmain menswear which now generates about 40 percent of the company's revenue. While Pierre Balmain used to say that his main objective was to "always dress women in the right look for the right moment," (and his gorgeous gowns for goddesses like Josephine Baker and Sophia Lauren always did just that), Balmain Menswear under Rousteing is more about dressing gents in clothes that say "I'm rich and powerful enough to wear whatever the fuck I want." What else could a guy in a silver knit sweater suit with a matching trouser and skirt be thinking? Or a dude in a heavily embroidered evening jacket with midnight blue accents? Or a fellow in a bright orange trench coat over an olive parachute jacket and blue tapered harem pants? Or how about the guy in the spectacular suede poncho with elaborate lacing? And certainly the gentleman in the orange silk belted jacket over tangerine crepe palazzo pants.
Like several other designers showcasing Spring 2017 menswear collections in Paris, Rousteing mixed womenswear in with the menswear. And while the bold colors and rich ornamentation were right in line with Monsieur Balmain's main objective for women (yup, the "right look for the right moment"), the menswear is far more exclusive. Of the small percentage of men with the means to buy Balmain in the first place, there is an exponentially smaller coterie of men who are comfortable with the bold choices Rousteing offers. The Balmain woman and the Balmain man have nothing in common. She is all about beauty and he is all about bombast. In fact, they would probably not even end up at the same event. (Unless we're talking KimYe here, but they're an anomaly, so forget it!) He wears his clothes not for utilitarian means but as an affirmation of an outré aesthetic. So what type of event could a man wear a silver knit sweater suit to without having to confront the bemusement or even ridicule of the other guests? If you're even asking that question, you are not a Balmain man. Remember, the Balmain man doesn't care what you think about his attire. He is rich and powerful enough to wear whatever the fuck he wants.
WRITTEN BY KAREN FRAGALA SMITH
PHOTO CREDIT: BALMAIN
related posts
KIMIKO EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW / Fashion story
KIMIKO Exclusive Interview / Fashion Story "Kimiko" is now available!
Namilia NYFW S/S18 Ready-to-Wear
Berlin-based design duo Nan Li and Emilia Pfohl have stuck to their guns and carved out a niche for their relatively young label ...
"Freedom" Enisa x TWELV VIDEO
“FREEDOM" ENISA x TWELV video is now available!
TWELV Magazine NYFW SS18 Party @Better Days
To celebrate the anxiously awaited September moment– New York Fashion Week SS18– TWELV Magazine held it's biannual NYFW party at "Better Days," the newly reopened Lower East Side location...
Elodie Yung EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW / FASHION STORY "Elodie Yung"
Elodie Yung Exclusive Interview / Fashion Story "Elodie Yung" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
The Legacy of Yves Saint Laurent to be Honored at New Marrakech Museum
Yves Saint Laurent is not the first to call Morocco muse, but the legacy of his interweaving the North African nation’s vibrant aesthetic into European fashion continues to this day,...
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" Behind the Scenes Video
"CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF A THIRD KIND" behind the scene video is now available!
View the video on the right and check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Fashion Story "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
FASHION STORY “CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF A THIRD KIND" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
TWELV Magazine Celebrates Hissa/CHAMA's Birthday @Public Hotel
TWELV had the pleasure of celebrating the birthday of Editor-in-Chief Hissa/CHAMA Igarashi at the Public Arts space...
Fashion Story "Ane Amour"
FASHION STORY “Ane Amour" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Gucci F/W2017 Collection Explores Strange New Worlds
Boldly going where no fashion house has gone before, Gucci launches its latest Fall/Winter 2017 collection with a full-on...
Giuseppe Zanotti X Jennifer Lopez Second Collaboration
After a successful first collaboration, Italian luxury footwear designer Giuseppe Zanotti and ...
TWELV Magazine Party "Summer Soirée" @Kola House
As the Men's New York Fashion Week came to a close, TWELV hosted a party for everyone in need of an unwind during this blistering summer.
Dior F/W2017 Haute Couture Collection
It's impossible to overestimate the impact of Christian Dior's first collection when it was shown in Paris in 1947.
Louis Vuitton Recruits Jaden Smith & Sophie Turner for Series 7
Unveiled earlier this month, Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2017-2018 campaign continues to impress as the brand remains...
Miu Miu F/W2017 Campaign Starring Kate Moss and the Aboah Sisters
The Miu Miu Girl has always been bolder and sexier than her patrician elder sister, the Prada Girl.
Just Cavalli F/W2017 Collection
In releasing its latest campaign, Just Cavalli has teamed up with...
René Caovilla F/W2017 COLLECTION
Italian designer René Caovilla has tapped into a new kind of sensual feminine energy with the launch of...
Rihanna x Manolo Blahnik Final Collaboration, #SoStoned
For their third and final collaboration, Manolo Blahnik and Rihanna have released the...
Beau Souci Fashion Story "Beautiful Worries"
BEAU SOUCI FASHION STORY “Beautiful Worries" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Berenik Opens Soho Boutique & Talenthouse with Dance
Last week, genderless Swiss fashion label Berenik celebrated the opening of its New York City boutique and Talenthouse at 419 Broome...
Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between
“Rei Kawakubo is one of the most important and influential designers of the past 40 years,” said Andrew Bolton, Head Curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute...
MIU MIU "ROOM303" BY Alasdair McLellan
By emulating an all familiar, oversaturated photographic aesthetic—those snaps of friends in the club, a family packed in a restaurant booth, an evening traversing the city, or an illuminated sea...
Nomos Glashütte Aqua Series Watch Collection
Independent German watchmaking house Nomos Glashütte has just released the...
Roberto Cavalli F/W2017 Campaign Starring Eva Herzigova
With the launch of Roberto Cavalli’s Fall/Winter 2017 campaign comes a bold retelling of the classic Italian love affair.
3.1 Phillip Lim Fashion Story "3.1"
FASHION STORY “3.1" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
BEAU SOUCI VIDEO STORY "LIFE GOES ON"
VIDEO STORY “LIFE GOES ON" is now available!
View the video on the right and check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Giuseppe Zanotti F/W2017 Collection “Le Rouge Et Le Noir”
Italian designer Giuseppe Zanotti delivers a refreshing dose of dichotomy with the introduction of his Fall/Winter 2017 campaign.
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons: The Power of Icons
An L and a V. The combination of these two letters has become one of the most widely recognized trademarks in the world, let alone the fashion world.
“Who is Gabrielle?” #GabrielleChanel
Everyone knows Chanel 2.55, the bag famously created by Gabrielle Chanel in February 1955 and named after the month and year of its birth.
JIL SANDER × NENDO OBJECTEXITILE CAPSULE COLLECTION
Fashion meets design in the conceptual Nendo x Jil Sander Capsule Collection debuting during Milan Design Week.
DKNY FASHION STORY "VASILISA IN DKNY"
FASHION STORY “VASILISA IN DKNY" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Tiffany & Co. New HardWear Collection with Lady Gaga
Last year, TWELV introduced the new Tiffany & Co. “Legendary Style” series. The campaign series began in Fall 2016, and featured Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o and actress Elle Fanning...
INTERVIEW / FASHION STORY "CLAIRE DE REGGE"
Interview / Fashion Story
"CLAIRE DE REGGE" is now available!
Check inside for the full page of editorial
KISSES FROM JILL STUART NYFW F/W2017 BACKSTAGE
The runway is a facade for designers to stage their vision, the strictly choreographed back-and-forth of models shinning a never-ending flow of clothes.