Balmain Mania... Still?

The collections by Christophe Decarnin might clearly lack in inventiveness, their similarities with Isabel Marant's may be more and more ambiguous, and their hold over the fashion world slowly waning, yet Condé Nast et al continue to fall for Balmain pieces en masse.

Vogue Paris may no longer be dedicating as many pages to Balmain products in every issue, but this does not mean that the French house is losing in visibility. Started several seasons ago, the aftershocks of Balmain Mania have not yet finished rocking the fashion world. Since August, no less than 6 magazines -- Vogue Germany, Vogue India, Vogue Spain, Zeit Magazine, 10 and Harper's Bazaar UK - have all put the little glitter dress worn by Anja Rubik during the label's fall/winter show on their covers.

The international press seems to be unable to accept the fact that the fashion hegemony wheel is turning. However, if Decarnin does not undertake a veritable stylistic reconstruction, his success will inevitably end up a thing of the past.

This massive movement on the part of the editors-in-chief to openly support a house whose recent collections have not made headlines demonstrates how much economic interests can sometimes take precedence over critical judgment. True, it is much more profitable for the different Vogue editions or Harper's Bazaar to flatter Balmain (one of their principal advertisers) than it would be to give their covers to a piece by a young designer. Although such a move would definitely be more innovative and in step with the times, it would have little financial impact on the magazine.

Once again, we notice that the image of a house dominates over its production. Despite the numerous doubts about the pertinence of Decarnin's work, the international clientele remains comforted by a press hastily closing its eyes to the lack of interest in his shows that are closer to mid-range prêt-a-porter than audacious luxury, and continues to consider Balmain as a must-see on their shopping trips.

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