Balmain is relaunching its sneaker collection — and the fall ’19 looks popped on the runway Friday night.
The show, held at a grand Paris Tennis Club, opened with a series of dramatic tailored looks. “When everyone is struggling to be streetwear, it’s important to remember that being a designer is about tailoring and treatments,” creative director Olivier Rousteing told FN backstage.
For sneakers, he explained, working with interesting materials gives them a whole different attitude. “It’s exciting for me to bring that element of couture and craftsmanship to a shoe,” he added.
In the black-and-white themed collection, white sneakers a black strip on the side appeared to feature the new Balmain logo — but it was an optical illusion.
The shoes actually featured cutouts with Balmain Paris socks worn underneath.
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Mirroring Hedi Silmane’s Celine debut show in September, both the shoes and garments in the show were all unisex. This season, from the footwear at Y/Project at Pitti to looks at Off/White, Givenchy. This androgynous movement had turned into a massive trend.
“There was no difference between the boys and the girls in the show,” observed Rousteing. “I want to push a new world where you don’t label and you don’t judge,” he said.
That message, emblazoned on sneakers, bags and shirts alike, was clear: ‘Things have to change’.
Click through the gallery to see the full Balmain fall ’19 collection.
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