Held in Hôtel Potocki, the former residence of the Polish noble Potocki family, true to form, the Balmain SS17 show was no low-key affair. Kim Kardashian (whose face featured on the invite) Kourtney Kardashian and Kris Jenner held court in the front row next to Carine Roitfeld in the ornate room, adorned with twinkling chandeliers and hundreds of palm trees and plants.
In this glittering urban jungle, top model Natasha Poly opened the show in a copper brown, cut-out dress worn with leggings and a diaphanous robe, soundtracked by a small orchestra who played versions of Britney Spears' "Everytime" and Adele's "Hometown". Yes, you read that right.
And it wouldn't be a Balmain show without Olivier Rousteing's gang of supermodel girls; Gigi Hadid stepped out in an burnt orange, earth-toned cut-out jumpsuit, soon followed by glamazons Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio, Josephine Skriver, Jourdan Dunn and Stella Maxwell. Though we've grown accustomed to Rousteing's body-con silhouettes and rigid, glittering, armour-like outlines with strong shoulders and cinched waists, this collection was considerably more billowing and fluid as his female army shed its fierce shell. The show notes revealed: "Those women never shy away from showing their softer side, sure in the knowledge that there's no longer any need to shout."
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There were still belted waists, but these featured on suede safari jackets and thigh-split skirts or palazzo pants. The opening safari section in greens, oranges and burnt coppers transitioned into a colourful series of snakeskin paired with sheer and suede skirts. The snakeskin swiftly turned into sparklier materials as the show closed on a glittering high, featuring silver and gold maxi dresses, chain mail, rainbow crochet jumpsuits and iridescent ponchos. This was safari with sequins and it will be featured in endless social media posts as Olivier's influential and incredibly loyal squad promote his latest collection.
After six years at the helm of Balmain, Rousteing's structured garms have been shed and we're excited to enter a new era for the French fashion house, with a more mature vision for his forever glamorous girl – who has now grown into a woman.