(by Patrizia Vacalebri) (ANSA) – ROME, MARCH 25 – “I could have used my time to finalize all the details for the September runway. And I really should have made more of an effort to disconnect, relax and enjoy my holidays But I couldn’t help myself. Day after day, I continued to dream and sketch new concepts inspired by Beyoncé’s Renaissance, the album that had been constantly blaring in my home, office, studio and vacation rental – and in a endless loop in my head since it came out in July 2022”. The new collection, surreal and pop, designed by the creative director of Balmain, Olivier Rousteing, and by the pop star herself, was born from the notes of Beyonce’s album.
It is he himself who wants to tell how it went. “When Beyoncé first released those remarkable sixteen songs, she was able to push me to release so much more, delineating 50 new silhouettes that contained the rhythm, spirit and voices of the Renaissance. Of course, having already collaborated with Beyoncé on so many occasions, I knew already her preferences for color, cut, fabric and accessories, allowing me to seamlessly, without thinking, incorporate them into those initial sketches.But when I made the decision to call in and share those early stage concepts with her, what I hoped it wasn’t just another round of red carpet or concert stage looks. This time, I wasn’t asking her to simply be my muse. Instead, I very much hoped that she might be ready for something completely new: a true collaboration between two creators who are both obsessed with taking their craft to the next level. I wanted us to be co-designers.” For Rousteing, “the time was right for Beyoncé to commit to working on creating a truly Parisian couture offering, taking on the role of design partner on the Renaissance Couture collection.” The work started in September. Beyoncé, stylist Marni Senofonte, Rousteing and the Balmain design team joined forces for five months, managing, despite the ruthless schedules of fashion weeks and concerts and time zone differences, to work through hundreds of WhatsApp, Zoom and email , in order to modify the sketches into real proposals and then convert them into couture creations. “At the end of January – says the designer – my team and I left for Los Angeles, transporting our Balmain atelier to the West Coast, to work full-time for ten days with Beyoncé and Marni Senofonte on all the finishing touches, additions, staging, filming and editing”. For the first time, she points out, a black woman has overseen the couture offerings of a historic Parisian house. And those designs were created in collaboration with the first black man to ever oversee all the collections of a historic Parisian house.
“We hope that these two firsts – says Rousteing – will help inspire many others. Furthermore, I am sure that these models of the collection, once they enter the archives of the maison, are destined to inspire generations of future Balmain stylists”. (HANDLE).