Promiscuous Girl [Balmain Spring 2011]

Christophe Decarnin takes biker chic to a whole new level with his spring collection for Balmain. Gone are the ultra luxurious brocades and leopard prints from fall. In their place, Decarnin has fashioned a "Trash & Vaudeville" collection complete with hole ridden t-shirts, denim cutoffs, bleached cropped jeans, and biker jackets, all generously embellished with studs and safety pins. The house seems to be working the military trend to the bone, and this season the look is guerilla warfare. Surprisingly (and unfortunately), there wasn't a single dress, neither mini nor maxi, on the runway, and this rugged and tattered look is hardly new territory for Christophe Decarnin (see spring 2010), both of which made for an especially redundant collection. Even the shoes were mere subtle updates to the boots and pumps from 2 seasons ago. Repetition aside, my favorite moments were the pair of white unembellished blazers as well as a pair of black embellished ones. See below.