Futuristic Tailoring
Balmain Spring/ Summer 2021 RTW
By making his collection co-ed, Oliver Rousteing hops on the train of the many designers who continue to work for an all-inclusive and diverse industry, and proves that social gender norms and roles have totally gone out the door in 2020. We are walking into 2021 almost a new runway!
This collection was all about dressing up the luxury on basic, old tailoring techniques. By taking a modern approach on an always needed classic, Rousteing became one of the most talked about and relevant ready-to-wear collections on the runway for the Spring/ Summer 2021 season. “Heritage is crucial” Oliver said when speaking about the collection, and it could not have been represented any further through this collection.
Like the Rick Owens show I previously covered in the article prior, we see a lot of power shapes being used in the Balmain collection as well, especially in the shoulder area. Shoulder padding and exaggeration is in fact not a new trend. This look first took on popularity in the 1980’s, a period of time we see many modern trends cycling themselves into our modern mix from. Also taken from the 80’s was the idea of a power suit, except this time gender roles were reversed by using atypical colors and accessories.
There was a variety of fabrics used to create these garments, but one of the most prominent and unique of them all was the use of denim in this collection. We see a few suiting options constructed from a cleanly tailored denim fabric, which adds a casual flare to the structured and put-together looks. Adding this affect gives the work from home population a comfier option to being trendy. Adding garments into the mix that weren’t two-piece suit sets also sets a new standard for business professional versus business casual dress codes.
This collection also offered a variety of looks that reek a minimalist approach to luxury, which is the direction celebrities and style icons have been going in lately. Using jersey-like, stretchy fabrics on cocktail dresses like the one to the right is just one of the many tweaks done to tone down the typical over-the-top Balmain outerwear we typically see that might not be worn as much right now.
Ironically enough, more of the going out pieces that leaned more towards the evening and cocktail end of RTW was made in darker and more neutral colors. It’s almost like when we go out in public we want to hide, or maybe we even want to hide entirely from the public itself.
Modern fashion has stopped being so much about being the center of attention, and more so being the center of attention in your own life. Carefree garments that blend in and add comfort to uncomfortable situations is what is making designers stand out and gives them the opportunity to evoke emotion in the wearer. And right now people are looking to feel something.
Adding onto the body shaping comment from earlier, we see Oliver Rousteing playing around with corsetry and various types of leathers as well. Forecasting to next Spring, we will continue to keep seeing those BSDM inspired fashion garments and accessories as the industry continues to rapidly expand to being more expressive and non-forgiving. Seeing a designer take on tailoring in this direction just means we can continue to define trends any way we want to, and throw societal standards for dressing out the window. To sum up this collection, I would say it fits right into the biggest trend of all this season: taking on a futuristic approach. Designers know people don’t want to live in the now, so are looking to fantasize the future. Not such a bad idea, right?
