I decided to wait a bit with doing this post, as I expected that the fashion blogosphere was filled with the news of Balmain's new collection. On Thursday, Balmain showed its A/W 2011 collection during Paris Fashion Week. I would write Christophe Decarnin for Balmain, but rumour has it that Decarnin was not part of the designing process for this collection. Instead, it is said that stylist Melanie Ward (known for working for Helmut Lang) created it together with Balmain's team. And where is Decarnin? Reportedly, staying in a mental hospital since mid-January, the reason being a nervous breakdown.
Still, I see a lot of Decarnin in the Fall 2011 collection. Especially in the pattern that was used for some of the dresses, skirts and jackets. The whole collection received mixed reviews, something I can understand. The pattern is wonderful, and I would love to own one of those dresses (or all three!). At the same time, one can't help but ask: how long can a fashion house rely on the embellished jacket + skinny pants combination?
