Balmain F/W 2021.22 Paris

[Phuel]

^^^ It's how I feel about Gianni's campaigns.

Olivier wears his fashion inspirations/idols on his sleeve: Gianni, Yves, Karl, Christophe… Whereas Gianni— maybe even louder/tackier/more crass, wasn’t so blatant with his fashion heroes’ inspirations. Gianni risked more than Olivier ever did.

If I’m in a generous mood, I’d say Olivier is carrying on the traditions of a bourgeois opulence/decadence that Gianni and Karl masterminded. But unlike Gianni, Olivier has yet to have the fortune of those OTT and larger-than-life campaigns and shows that immortalized his brand and showcased the designs better than they really were.

I hope he will be around to evolve and grow more into his own aesthetic in time. Or more importantly to someone like myself who gravitates towards teh presentation more than the seperate pieces, Olivier is able to work with his equivalent of Avedon/Meisel/Weber to elevate his brand to another stratosphere the way Gianni was so fortune to have had with his collaborators.

 

[fakeawake]

^^^ It's how I feel about Gianni's campaigns.

Olivier wears his fashion inspirations/idols on his sleeve: Gianni, Yves, Karl, Christophe… Whereas Gianni— maybe even louder/tackier/more crass, wasn’t so blatant with his fashion heroes’ inspirations. Gianni risked more than Olivier ever did.

If I’m in a generous mood, I’d say Olivier is carrying on the traditions of a bourgeois opulence/decadence that Gianni and Karl masterminded. But unlike Gianni, Olivier has yet to have the fortune of those OTT and larger-than-life campaigns and shows that immortalized his brand and showcased the designs better than they really were.

I hope he will be around to evolve and grow more into his own aesthetic in time. Or more importantly to someone like myself who gravitates towards teh presentation more than the seperate pieces, Olivier is able to work with his equivalent of Avedon/Meisel/Weber to elevate his brand to another stratosphere the way Gianni was so fortune to have had with his collaborators.

Olivier is not like Karl or Gianni bc Olivier doesn't know how to make clothes.

GIanni grew up in his mom's dressmaking studio, Karl toiled in the backrooms at Balmain before he ever stepped into his design role.

I think Balmain's look is a result of hiim not knowing how to make clothes. I think he designs stuff that looks good on 2D paper and really doesn't think much about how it will look in 3D bc he doesn't know how to make clothes. I think his fabric choices are also extensions of taking his 2D designs off paper, again he doesn't know what fabrics to use.