Balmain S/S 2009 Paris

[KKnardi]

Balmain's Madonna moment

The infectious exuberance of Balmain is the card that the designer Christophe Decarnin plays. His sparkling show Sunday of hard chic with Grecian drapes was a take on the 1980s. Madonna was on the soundtrack and jackets had wide molded shoulders.

Although the designer talked backstage about "Desperately Seeking Susan," the show was not so much Madonna in trash glamour from the 1985 film as the glitter and studs of hot couture. From the first outfit of a jacket with military frogging in a glitter gulch of crystals, but worn with torn jeans and more glam slam for the shoes, the Balmain show caught a current fashion beat.

When the jeans weren't shredded, they were given treatments from artistic patches of stone wash to prints of passing clouds or stitch decoration to shape the legs. From boy looks to girly, without reducing the sparkle content, the designer sent out tutu dresses. Their tulle skirts bouncing below crystals at the waist looked fresher than the brief clingy dresses that have been the stock-in-trade of Balmain's youthful revival.

Decarnin's vision is not experimental or as a fashion leader. But his high wattage party wear, beloved by Hollywood (Milla Jovovich sat front row) has caught the current vibe of upbeat energy against the reality of a harsh world.

suzy menkes, iht.com

 

[KKnardi]

so many beautiful and chic pieces in this collection! I like the jeans, the jackets with the oversized shoulders are divine.

 

[Juliet Capulet]

love Balmain

Beautiful collection *claps*

 

[masquerade]

I love this. Decarnin always mashes up biker chick with french chic and this collection is just as good.

I love the torn up beaded lace looking dresses and I love the strong shoulder blazers. Not all of the dresses are my thing but I def see the madonna reference and I still think its a really strong, good collection.

<3 Balmain

 

[Bahiyya]

Good Lord. Since when did Balmain start to design for desperate L.A. starlets (outside of the odd Roitfield look)? I'm not going anywhere near this stuff. What the...? One or two of the jackets. Possibly. And some of the shoes actually looked nice.

 

[liberty33r1b]

true, it's not too elegant anymore, but sophisticated and stylish!!!! i love it!

 

[liberty33r1b]

by the way, do we have catwalking pics maybe? style.it pics are so small, i would love to see the clothes in more detail....

 

[LagerfeldBoy]

such an incredible collection! the jackets are gorgeous!!, aswell as the dresses, ugh just everything is wow. i always love a balmain jacket.

 

[cato.]

I really don't care that this collection isn't elegant. It's ferocious, sexy and unapologetically glamourous. It might be a bit in your face, but it's done so fantastically! Well done Decarnin!

 

[TheElitist]

the gowns... they felt heavy-handed and stuck.

rather than sexy, it was more like... unsophisticated. like something you would expect to see from Just Cavalli, not even the main Roberto Cavalli line.

rather Versace Spring 2007, no?

overall, i'm just dismayed by the Zac Posen-esque feel of the latest Balmain collection.

too much going on, and in all the wrong places. the new Balmain is supposed to be sexy and edgy, but it's feeling a bit tired and repetitive...

but for sure, there were some desirable pieces from the latest collection - Natasha Poly's emerald dress with shoulder pads will probably be sold out...

 

[shirleebee]

I preferred his Alison Mosshart-esque influence for F/W 08, but this is cool. I mean, it's essentially the same silhouette he's been producing for seasons, with the addition of a train. And draped bandage techniques.

 

[Les_Sucettes]

Well I have i have to say it looks great on the models and Emmanuelle will rock some pieces, but those dresses will look dreadful on the cast of Desperate Housewifes, Beyonce, Mariah and all rappers wives that I'm pretty sure are making orders as we speak.

 

[shirleebee]

^The Real Housewives of Atlanta

 

[Miss Dalloway]

I have to say i like this, its not the same sexy as Versace imo, or even Dolce, this is way more rock and agresive and it works.

 

[kahlilg]

Well I have i have to say it looks great on the models and Emmanuelle will rock some pieces, but those dresses will look dreadful on the cast of Desperate Housewifes, Beyonce, Mariah and all rappers wives that I'm pretty sure are making orders as we speak.

for what reason? honestly if it only looks good on one type of person then that really shows a lack of talent doesn't it?

 

[LolaSvelt]

My favourite dress is the one on post #7.

 

[Les_Sucettes]

for what reason? honestly if it only looks good on one type of person then that really shows a lack of talent doesn't it?

I guess it does on this collection...but I cannot say that it looks bad on this models,, although for me to really say that something is really good I have to take it out context and see if it still stands. If this said Cavalli instead of Balmain would the reactions be the same? Would I like any of this dresses if I didn't knew the brand saw a footballers wive wearing it. Because lets be real this Collection is more Cavalli than Cavalli and it will totally cater the taste of those with more money than sense.

 

[TheElitist]

I guess it does on this collection...but I cannot say that it looks bad on this models,, although for me to really say that something is really good I have to take it out context and see if it still stands. If this said Cavalli instead of Balmain would the reactions be the same? Would I like any of this dresses if I didn't knew the brand saw a footballers wive wearing it. Because lets be real this Collection is more Cavalli than Cavalli and it will totally cater the taste of those with more money than sense.

that's what i said earlier.

what if this thread was named Versace? would people still be cooing over those gowns?

not all of it is bad, but for what it's worth, i thought it was a step down from Christopher's fall 2008 collection.

i cant say i see much thinking going into this collection.

 

[vogue28]

Madonna on the soundtrack? Her "Hard Candy" album?

another amazing collection

 

[Deleted member 7575]

His brand of overt and low brow sex appeal has moments of lucid genius. It's when he injects a certain awkward and homely presence into his otherwise boringly "hot" clothes. They become something less suited for a Russian oligarch's wife or New Jersey teenager and perhaps can be desired by someone with few more levels of depth and higher standards of taste.