Paris Opens with Balmain’s Sexy Evening Chic
Godfrey Deeny
February 25th, 2007 @ 4:21 PM - Paris
Though no one has come right out and said it, the fashion crowd now regard the first show of importance on the Paris ready-to-wear calendar as Balmain, whose designer Christophe Decarnin is the new talent to watch in the world's most important season.
Any senior player with an opinion and a title – Suzy, Hilary, Virginie, Carine and Babette - sat front row, even if many Vogue editors-in-chief and senior North American honchos had still not reached town.
"Only evening, surprising, I know," quipped the designer backstage, in reference to the fact that he only shows clothes to be worn long after work.
Under Decarnin, Balmain is the new go-to source of edgily haute gamme evening looks, where gals can find panache and class and a little sizzle. If anything, for fall 2007, Decarnin did push the silhouette too far, i.e. half his dresses ended 15 inches above the knee.
His is a polished and original point of view, capable of creating snug cocktails with ice Swarovski crystal patterns, or paneled and racy robes. His opening trio – featuring a first-rate casting – Daria, Raquel and Natasha - had great sexy flourish. If she has the chutzpa, and legs, then a gal would make a sensation in these looks, marvelous guy attracting material.
Futurist Grecian robes with heat duct tube shoulders and hems, ravishingly cut paneled silk cocktails with lots of studded heat and rock star arm candy shag boleros all had great zest.
However, his big new idea - a series of enormously flared pants, finished with crystals that outlined, well, the crotch, knee and ankle – was less successful. But can't fault this gutsy designer for not trying to stamp his collection with a breakthrough look. Maybe next time!
Decarnin does have a strong vision of how the new multi-tasking hip woman should dress for evening that is eons away from the stuck up concepts of the past and the old "jolie madame" Balmain. His preference for designing for gals who appear in his show does mean that they clearly love wearing his clothes. But it also means that the collection was a tad too scrawny chic. Getting more than skinny gals to wear Balmain is the key part of the exercise, too.
