A Balmain show is the height of glitz and glamour and no expense was spared for the iconic French fashion house’s Spring 2017 collection unveiling. The front row was brimming with the brand’s flock of celebrity fans and the catwalk was equally full of the world’s biggest supermodels: Olivier Rousteing certainly can bring them out, can’t he? The designs were sleek, serpentine, and sinuous in true Balmain fashion.

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For the momentous affair, Rousteing transformed Paris’s famed Hôtel Potocki into a leafy jungle, complete with vegetation oozing from every crevice. This set the tone for the ferocity and power of the looks to come.

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The Creative Director called on all his BFFs to take to the runway: naturally they all happen to be some of the globe’s biggest models. Doutzen Kroes, Jourdan Dunn, Natasha Poly, Gigi Hadid—the list goes on.

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Though there were more than enough scantily-clad looks to go around, it was nice to see Rousteing embrace layered ensembles—a quite obvious nod to the house’s more modest clientele. Cutout dresses were layered under floor-grazing jackets and over leggings, bomber-inspired jackets falling at the knee were belted at the waist to offset their longer lengths, cape jackets were juxtaposed against flowing maxi skirts, and separates were paired together for a chic suiting effect.

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Snake-embossed and actual exotic skin designs were plentiful with strappy belts on-trend with the current corset fad, knit dresses with thigh-high double slits, contrast open jackets, and a long trench that screamed luxury.

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There was absolutely no denying the force of the eveningwear here. It’s clear that Rousteing is very much catering to the red carpet set all around the world: a very smart move with the number of film festivals, movie premieres, and stylish events seeming to double almost yearly.

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And do we even need to mention who’ll be wearing the styles on display? Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and equally stylish mom-ager Kris Jenner all lined the front row: three of the most powerful Balmain fans in the world. A red jumpsuit with sheer panels and side slits was the perfect red carpet piece for the selfie-loving mogul, though I’d personally like to see any fashionable star in a colorfully embellished robe dress with transparent insets.

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Thoughts on the latest from Balmain?

Images: Vogue.com

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