On May 17 at the Billboard Music Awards, H&M revealed its 2015 designer collaboration would be with Parisian luxury fashion house Balmain under the creative directorship of talented designer Olivier Rousteing. The announcement took place during the red carpet arrivals when Rousteing showed up with models Kendall Jenner and Jourdan Dunn wearing two of the looks from the upcoming Fall collection. Both H&M and Balmain quickly jumped on social media to confirm the upcoming collaboration posting photos from the Billboard Music Awards fittings and a quick video on the designer’s Instagram account which received over 25K likes. As the #BBMA’s were trending on Twitter, fans also joined in the movement using the hashtag #HMBalmaination which quickly blew up and became the next trending topic on social media.
“I want to talk to my generation: this is my main aim as a designer. H&M allows me the unique possibility of bringing everyone into the world of Balmain, get a piece of the dream and create a global #HMBalmaination: a movement of togetherness, fueled on a hashtag. The collaboration felt extremely natural to me: H&M is a brand that everybody connects to. It calls for unity, and I am all for it,” says Olivier Rousteing.
Balmain, though a long time traditional atelier, has found a way to remain true to the aesthetics of founder Pierre Balmain while evolving into a modern day luxury studio with its own iconic charm and appealing silhouette. The designs have resonated with models and actresses alike with the Kardashians and Rihanna having worn the label on the red carpet. At the Billboard Music Awards, Taylor Swift accepted the award for Top 200 Billboard Album wearing a white cutout jumpsuit from the SS15 runway collection.
Olivier Rousteing, who was born in France, was hired as Balmain’s chief designer in 2011 and his critically and commercially acclaimed collections have helped to push the label forward on its pathway of rapid growth. Rousteing is influenced by the unique confident style of today’s modern women as well as the work of the many talented designers who have guided Balmain before him. He incorporates the house’s well-known mastery of tailoring, embroidery and traditional techniques of classic couture into his collections to create Balmain’s signature “Jolie Madame” aesthetic.
“We are excited to have Balmain as our guest designer at H&M and create a truly involving experience for everybody. With its mix of couture spirit and streetwear attitude, Balmain owns a unique style, at once opulent and direct, sensual and energetic. It is also closely linked to the show business and music worlds, which adds another element of surprise,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor at H&M.
The collection will be available starting November 5, in around 250 stores worldwide and online, and will feature clothing and accessories for both women and men. We will bring you the complete look book as soon as it becomes available. Until then mark your calendars and get ready for Holy Balmaination Day.
Photo courtesy of H&M