Paris Fashion Week S/S2010 - Balmain

PARIS FASHION WEEK S/S2010 – BALMAIN

Despite suffering bout after bout of criticism regarding the season to season similarities (and exorbitant prices) of Balmain, Christophe Decarnin held his nerve, producing a distinctly Balmain, distinctly off-duty-model collection. Skin tight trousers, bold shouldered jackets, and studded, riveted and undulating metallic dresses cinched at the waist with wide belts, all rendered to perfection again identified Christophe as the leader in his respective field.

Evolution though was evident in the military theme that rebounded through the collection. Hinted at through the now ubiquitous military jackets of previous collections, this motif resulted in tassled shoulder-pieces, rough khaki shirts and most notably distressed pathwork camouflage evening dresses, tops and jackets. Slashed to reveal a flash of skin, and paired with battered second skin khaki combats and jeans, the military conceit added a tougher, rougher, apocalyptic edge to Balmain's glittering goddesses, which - despite the odds - is sure to fly from the shelves.

Posted by Luke Raymond