Balmain is always a brand that I look to with anticipation during Paris fashion week. At the helm of the brand, Olivier Rousteing does an interesting job exploring the legacy fashion house and it’s continued exposure to millennials, of which Olivier also labels himself.
A friend of the Kardashians, he also has recently played up the brand to be more driven by social engagement rather than wearability, which some fashion spectators find troubling while others (like myself) don’t feel either way about. If the brand is somehow analyzing youth culture by its obsession with social media, crazed trends, and maybe even the chaos of short attention spans and unregulated interests, perhaps Olivier is onto something by showing the same with his line. Is clothing always supported to be functional? Or is it performative?
