Kim Kardashian is no stranger to the front row, and even though she was nowhere to be seen in person in Paris yesterday her influence dominated the catwalk.
Against the backdrop of an 18th-century salon, a full orchestra and an opera singer, Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing presented a troupe of identikit Kims for the label’s autumn 2016 collection.
Models, including Kim’s sister Kendall Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, were dressed in the blush pinks and dove greys often worn by the star.
Their waists were cinched with wide gold belts in homage and they wore long, ironed-straight wigs. Generously curved lampshade miniskirts even replicated the famous Kardashian derrière.
“I’m a very proud husband,” said the rapper Kanye West, who was seated on the front row.
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There were Eighties references in a body-conscious silhouette and embellishments of gilt trim, silk tassels and mink. Suede leggings appeared sprayed on; pelmet skirts were worn with thigh-high boots. Waterfalls of silk cascaded down the legs of sheer lace jumpsuits.
Suede dresses with eyelet corsets and breastplates will no doubt find a home in the wardrobes of popstars and the wives of the 1 per cent alike. “I wanted to celebrate confident women who are aware of the beauty of their bodies,” Rousteing said afterwards. “And the effect they can have on others.”
Despite its high price tags Balmain has become a pop culture fixture during Rousteing’s tenure. Also among his coterie of celebrities and Instagram stars are Rihanna and Naomi Campbell, both of whom have appeared in the label’s advertising campaigns.
Thanks to him the brand is now known as a champion of diversity in the industry, whether or not one can afford anything in its stores.
Inspiration came from a rather more rarefied source for British designer Clare Waight Keller at Chloé. Her collection of bohemian traveller gear was based on the writer Anne-France Dautheville, who rode around the world on a motorbike in the 1970s.
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Moto jackets and leather trousers juxtaposed with gauzy silk blouses and embroidered ponchos were meant to replicate outfits thrown together and collected en route in a boyish departure from the label’s usual focus on a Parisian ingénue.
The shows in Paris continue today with one of the week’s biggest names, Christian Dior. The label is still without a designer after the departure of Raf Simons in October.