The year is 1986 - You’re riding through South Beach in a drop-top convertible as “How Will I Know” by Whitney Houston blasts through the speakers. This is the exact moment I was transported to while I viewed the Pre-Fall 2024 Women’s collection by Balmain. To say Olivier Rousteing, Creator Director of Balmain, had me GAGGED during the entire collection, is an understatement. This was truly for the modern, fierce woman and no one else. Miami Vice was the overall vibe of this collection - but Olivier said make it HIGH fashion. So much inspiration was pulled from this time. It’s apparent with the use of colors, patterns, and silhouette styles.
Olivier and the team built contrast when using black and white together. It was almost like a Yin and Yang effect, as they balanced each other well. Black and white against each other tend to be very bold and this line was no different. We mostly see this when pattern is involved. (We’ll go into this more)
Now you can’t mention 80’s Miami without including the imagery of pastel colors. Several pieces incorporated salmon pink, powder blue, and other soft brights. I feel like Balmain leans more into solid reds, golds, and dark blues when they use color so this was a refreshing change. The intentionality of the colors emphasized the direction, so much so that you can’t dare miss the overall theme.
Rousteng gave us daring prints and patterns in this line - as he always does but this time it was a bit different. During the 50’s-80’s flamingos were a big thing in mid-century modern home decor. This animal appeared in many forms and textures. One of my favorites is the flamingo top handle bag. Beaded with rhinestones, there’s such a detail that makes it so soft and feminine. Rousteng used it at a couture level and it was superb! Now referring back to the black and white color, the checkers and stripes were so powerful. It demanded attention without taking away from the complexity of the silhouettes. Again that Yin and Yang effect!
You know that chair your grandma has? The one she won't get rid of and is older than you. Yes, that one! Rousteng did an exceptional job of using an abstract-style print in his line that would resemble that chair. This could’ve easily looked tacky had it not been executed well - so hats off.
When you think of vintage women’s workwear only one word should come to mind - shoulder pads. Well, thats 2… Olivier Rousteing is known for his accentuated shoulder designs but took it further in this collection. Instead of keeping it the same, he played with a variety of shoulder styles. We see dropped, rounded shoulders, sharp, shaped shoulders, and various other appearances.
Now what better way to say thank you to the 80’s than to bring back the cone-shaped bra in his designs? Jean-Paul Gaultier featured this in many of his 80’s collections. We first saw Olivier use this during his guest collection for Jean-Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022/2023. In that line, one piece that stood out to me was a hooded dress with those cone cups. We see a similar dress in Pre-Fall 2024 but with the added Balmain flair. Another example of how the stripes didn’t take away from the overall design but only elevated it.
Honestly, this is one of the best collections I’ve seen in fashion in the last couple of months. Maybe I am biased because the 80’s is my favorite fashion era, but I truly enjoyed viewing these pieces. I might need a trip to Miami soon to really get the full experience. LOL.
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