Balmain is always quite the crowd pleaser, and this season justified the house's current status as fashion's dangerously lovable darling. Olivier Rousteing has certainly done a great job at maintaining the momentum of his predecessor, Christophe Decarnin, and maintains the brand's fan base seamlessly. The young creative director (he's only 25 years old!) generated a collection decked in the usual Balmain staples: rockstar-friendly leather jackets and tight little body con dresses - all caked over in pearls and crystal embellishment. My favorite piece was a leather shirt/jacket featuring an embroidered floral design amongst a galaxy of diamonds. So beautiful! I've seen and held a few of these pieces in person, and they weight so much, I wonder how the models managed to drag themselves down the runway. Some of the velvet pieces were quite stunning; the burnout details on all the pants and shirts make them quite covetable. Yet another collection that leaves me gaga for Balmain!
