Is Olivier Rousteing Ruining Balmain?

[1400Hoodie]

I think there is a strong argument for the position that he is to a certain extent, specifically with menswear. He's taken it from Decarnin's masculine and timeless aesthetic and injected it with trendiness. I mean just look at how he does he collections: safari themed, asian themed, nautical themed. On top of that, he's subtly been incorporating more and more elegance into a brand known for rugged masculinity. Look at SS13-14 in particular with the drop crotch pants and more whimsical detailing. Plus the Ballerina flats for SS14 are going to be a tough sell IMO. It'll be interesting to see how his onesie fits do. I mean....idk who but I can't wait to see some rapper in the all leather onesie looking crazy as ****. Overall though is Rousteing ruining what made Balmain special which was the timeless masculinity of it all for the ease of trendiness? It would make sense though he is sort of the parisian version of Alexander Wang in that he's connected to culture like a motherfucker. His IG is like a who's who, where's where, of what's what. In general though his youthful #vibez are hurting the brand.

 

[1400Hoodie]

Waiting to see if anyone posts an intelligent response.

 

[Distorbiant]

I don't know.

 

[1400Hoodie]

I don't know.

P O W E R F U L

 

[barrettdudley]

Those seem like good points. Any ideas for who could take over and restore the brand's integrity?

 

[1400Hoodie]

I mean obviously Christophe once he gets out the loony bin. Although, he may be out the loony bin apparently because he's working with Kanye at the moment.

 

[savant23]

It seems as if his focus has turned the brand from a more male charged brand to a very elegant couture line for women. He fines ways of incorporating interesting new takes in christophes timeless silhouettes.

 

[0JSIMPS0N]

its all about the womenswear buddy

 

[1400Hoodie]

its all about the womenswear buddy

Pointless statements for $2000.

 

[AlcoholicArtist]

I fell in love with Rousteing's Balmain not Decarnin's.
I love the precision tailoring, drama and Parisian elegance in Balmain Homme now, and actually find it on the whole more wearable for me than Decarnin's.

A lot of Decarnin's designs, I wouldn't buy even if they were made by Zara or somewhere, huge admiration for what he, or emmanuelle alt (?) did for the womenswear.

 

[chinesealpha]

I don't know much about Balmain, but I know what I hate, and there's a LOT to hate about the last 2 seasons. A quick cruise through the current ssense buy fills me with revulsion. $600 Dragon print tees, the shoulders on the jackets...

FW 12/13 looked pretty good, even though the overall feel of high-end rent boy / military fetishist is a little hard to take. Some of the individual pieces were beautiful, in particular the db coat and peacoat.

Who knows what the future will hold? Maybe sequined skulls, or super-cropped SWAT gear? I'm tingling with anticipation.

 

[AlcoholicArtist]



the shoulders on the jackets...

That's like saying Burberry should drop trench coats.
I'd say the shoulders and other trademark elements of the Balmain cut are what draw people to the brand. Whether you appreciate that silhouette or not is your affair, but it certainly shouldn't come as a shock to see extreme shoulders when viewing a Balmain collection.

 

[Fycus]

Decarnin brought Balmain back into relevance. The only pieces that sell well for the brand and are considered staples were made under Decarnin's control. Rousteing is good looking and a good face for the brand, but he is far from a proficient designer. I think he does okay for the womenswear, and maybe financially that is better for the house overall. Sometimes we become jaded only focusing on menswear and forget to realize menswear is like 15% of a total fashion house revenue. Maybe moving forward it will change, but Rousteing did nothing for Balmain menswear.

 

[andrewgreg]

as long as balmain keep producing 8k women's jacket and people keep buying it, no one gives a **** about menswear.

 

[AlcoholicArtist]



Rousteing is good looking and a good face for the brand.

Off topic but I'm 100% positive he sucks his cheeks like crazy in photos, to give the appearance of concave cheeks and strong cheekbones.
In reality he doesn't have the right bone or soft tissue structure to create that look naturally.

Oliver Rousteing's Cheeks DEBUNKED