Attendees of the Balmain X H&M Collection runway show were treated to a lesson in what made Olivier Rousteing’s reign at Balmain what it is today and a Backstreet Boys show.
Nearly identical remakes of pieces seen in the early shows of Rousteing’s came down the runway at the show, now at a much lower price. Heavily embellished, jewel tone tops, exaggerated, tapered pants and double breasted blazers can soon be in the closets of people too young to even remember when the styles were first introduced. According to Vogue, he intentionally remade iconic pieces because he remembers what it was like being in his early twenties, and even younger, lusting after runway pieces.
Dancers were voguing in the background as models paraded down the runway surrounded by a much more glamorous version of a subway station, a nod to Rousteing’s early dance filled nights when he was a design assistant in Paris. Bloggers, celebrates and model-muses including Kendall Jenner and Gigi and Bella Hadid, Jourdan Dunn and Karlie Kloss, who all walked the show, were in attendance celebrating the release of the the collaboration.
To take the throwback even further, guests were surprised with a performance by The Backstreet Boys. The boys were appropriately clad in head to toe Balmain X H&M gear during their performance of their hit songs.
The show and all its festivities were not only a presentation of the new clothes available November 5, but a peek the designer’s brain and what got the brand to where is is now.
