NEW SEASON // Balmain Fall Winter 2012 Collection

Olivi­er Rous­teing’s il­lustra­tion of Tsar­ist Rus­sia is ar­ticulated through his Fall 2012 col­lec­tion’s ver­dant fab­rica­tions and military-precise tailor­ing, pre­sen­ted as a sub­tle yet sumptu­ous in­terpreta­tion of the Rococo move­ment. Rous­teing’s painstaking­ly in­tricate em­broide­ries and pearl em­bel­lish­ments weave in jocular, floral-like pat­terns and sinu­ous lines, curv­ing around the should­ers of a silk blouse or un­dulat­ing down the chest of a minimal­ist t-shirt, re­creat­ing the late Rus­sian Baroque or­namen­ta­tion also pre­sent in Rous­teing’s Fabergé Egg in­spira­tion. Op­ulent Fabergé Egg ele­ments are re-worked as ar­gyle and flor­al motifs ac­ross burnt-out vel­vet mini-dresses and backless halt­er tops and gowns, car­ry­ing over to struc­tured run­way jac­kets as plush, rich quilt­ing.

Rous­teing’s Tsar­ist milita­ry in­flu­ence can be traced in the finer de­tails of the col­lec­tion, elevated through his focus on clean lines and square should­ers. Fit­ted blaz­ers and double-breasted jac­kets of­fered in a deep palet­te of crim­son, em­erald and onyx fea­ture strict tailor­ing and gold hardware, ec­hoed by the col­lec­tion’s em­bos­sed gold but­tons and over­s­ize belt buckles that height­en Rous­teing’s milita­ry in­spira­tion.

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