Balmain’s Glamazon Gets Grounded
Review of Balmain Spring 2026 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Warrior Women, Untamed Utility, Formed from Nature
Mother Earth has been on the moodboard this season, and when she’s used as a reference at Balmain, what we get is a grounding of the high-octane glamazon.
There is no questioning that the Balmain woman is as assertive as she is self-assured, and her preference for a power shoulder and embellished torso won’t be tamed, yet there are ways to survive in the concrete jungle that can involve taking a laidback approach.
The was a definitive direction to Rousteing’s collection for spring which could only have been mined from the Global South. As sunset hues and sandy shades were paired with earthy browns and vegetal greens, shapes were loose and languid but the sex appeal remained with gathered blouses cut to the naval, midriff-baring bandeau tops, and micro shorts scattered throughout. This was an untamed version of the Balmain archetype, but in softening her edges, she loses none of her power. The gathering and draping of slinky jersey and silk chiffons felt almost regal, fit for a modern warrior woman.
Of course the creative director couldn’t resist the urge to include his own brand of maximalist moments and within the collection models were encased in, and moulded from, the Earth’s natural elements. A bodysuit replica of the ‘Sands of Time’ dress artist Tyla wore to the 2024 Met Gala transformed a casual pair of silky cargo pants, a two-piece skirt set jingled rhythmically down the runway, made as it was from thousands of shells (which were also used across hobo bags and sandals), and what can only be described as a collectors item (or museum acquisition piece) in the making was a cropped V-neck ‘top’ made from a geological rock formation – also known as a geode, so unexpected! But when mining Mother Earth as a reference unearthing a few treasures is par for the course.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
Rousteing has created a decades-worth of iterations of the Balmain woman, and not since the opening looks of his fall 2020 men’s collection has he been this unrestrained. The designer may also have been inspired by the recent bohemian wave gripping fashion right now, but this will be as unstructured as he is willing to get, although the same sentiments were there in the appreciation and elevation of nature as a source of inspiration.
It remains to be seen whether the heavily embellished pieces created with natural materials such as shells and beads will be reserved for custom orders exclusively, as they served as a point of differentiation outside of the soft utilitarian silhouettes and chunky crochet knits they should also be made available when this collection hits down at retail.
