Balmain Couture Spring 2019

Discover more on Balmain.com « As I began my preparations for this, my first Balmain Couture show, I pored through the house’s archives. I was once again blown away, (no surprise), by the impressive legacy that M Balmain has left behind for us—decade after decade of impressively intricate details, always-impeccable tailoring and wonderfully imaginative sculptural shapes. From the moment that I started to channel our founder’s spirit into my first sketches, I began to see this collection as both a homage to his work and as a sort of conversation between me and Pierre Balmain. That conversation kept returning to one central question: “what is couture in 2019?” First of all, it is a very welcome break from the daily hype, trends and commercial pressures, allowing me the immense luxury of stepping back for a minute—a chance to clear my mind, dream and revel in a moment of unfettered creativity. While the outside fashion world might have remained obsessed on sportswear and streetwear, my all-too-brief couture escape let me momentarily swim against the current, thinking only about dreams, beauty and aspirations. Yes, couture remains as exclusive as it has always been—a luxury well beyond the reach of most. For example, today’s collection relies on more than a million Swarovski crystal pearls, stones and beads for the intricate embroideries end embellishments. We’ve also partnered with some of the world’s most talented artisans for the one-of-a-kind accessories that you see o