BALMAIN Resort 2021

If there was ever a moment when a designer and brand expose themselves as tone-deaf ... well, then this might be its nuclear flash!  After living through one of the darkest eras of humanity and still living through it, this designer and brand decided that it was business as usual and that the past three months can be erased and/or forgotten …. WRONG!

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  Firstly, Balmain is not on the level of CHANEL that has a network of retail outlets that need to be filled on a regular basis and secondly if, as the designer claims that Instagram is his runway … well, then I  hope that all of his so-called followers have black American Express cards and attend clandestine/underground galas where some of these frocks can be worn.

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As for the so-called daywear consisting of torn jeans and a jacket or some pastel confection … who cares… as for the party dresses ... where are the parties other than in front of your full-length mirror and thirdly even if we could erase all of what’s happened in 2020… where exactly are you wearing these clothes, who dresses like this anymore?

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Yes, there are a few standouts and some of them smart of Lacroix’s beginnings, Emanuel Ungaro and of course, CHANEL while others are just excess and grand gestures for the sake of showmanship. For a designer who was bemoaning his roots not that long ago, he certainly doesn’t show any regard for the times we live in.

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Fashion and life, in general, will never be the same on any continent or in any city and to make believe that they will just might amount to be one huge tragic flaw or error in judgement for the brand and designer. Designers are supposed to be somewhat clairvoyant as to what the future will hold and I can say this … Rousteing’s crystal ball must have been malfunctioning.

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