Fashion / What Went DownWhat went down at Balmain SS17On a catwalk that resembled a jungle, Olivier Rousteing presented his SS17 collection for the house – here’s what happenedShareLink copied ✔️September 29, 2016FashionWhat Went DownTextTed Stansfield There’s three things we can expect from a Balmain show: a front row filled with A-list celebrities, a catwalk filled with supermodels and Olivier Rousteing’s signature brand of glamour. True to expectation, we got all three at this afternoon’s show at Paris Fashion Week – here’s what went down. THE FRONT ROW Carla Bruni, Giancarlo Giametti, Jon K and Baptiste at Balmain pic.twitter.com/0010uOsEaD— Alexander Fury (@AlexanderFury) September 29, 2016 Obviously there was a Kardashian presence at the show: Kim, Khloe and Kris sat front row along with model and wife of the former President of France Carla Bruni, Valentino’s partner Giancarlo Giammetti and male models slash Balmain Army members Jon Kortajarena, Baptiste Giabiconi and Gigi and Bella Hadid’s younger brother Anwar. Giammetti’s presence was particularly interesting given that Valentino’s parent company Mayhoola purchased Balmain for a cool €485 million earlier this year. THE COLLECTION This season, Rousteing’s theme had something to do with the jungle. The catwalk was green and there was a large amount of plant foliage (palm fronds and the like) suspended above it. As for the collection, it came in predominantly earthy colours – greens and browns – along with flashes of tropical colours, stripes that looked vaguely South American-inspired, and a lot of python skin. With the floaty dresses, it all felt a bit “Kate Bush goes to the rainforest.” THE DIAMONDS AND GOLD Of course it wouldn’t be a Balmain show without a sense of opulence and this season that came in the form of glittering gowns in gold and silver lamé (case in point, Gigi’s look – see above), and jewel-toned dresses encrusted with sequins. NATASHA POLY OPENED THE SHOW As the music began, the first model emerged on the catwalk and it was none other than Russian supermodel Natasha Poly wearing a layered gown stroke short and legging twinset in bronze. AND A STRING OF BIG-TIME MODELS FOLLOWED... Balmain chain mail finale #PFWhttps://t.co/JDH6q8osjW— Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) September 29, 2016 For models wanting to be in the Balmain Army, there are a couple of requirements that must be met: you need to be strong and powerful, to be beautiful in quite classical way, and have a pop culture crossover / large social media following / Victoria’s Secret contract. This was demonstrated at today’s show where Gigi Hadid took to the runway, along with industry icons Doutzen Kroes and Alessandra Ambrosio; and VS girls Cindy Bruna, Lais Ribeiro (pictured) and Sara Sampaio. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREBrit Awards 2026: The best dressed stars on the red carpetMoschino turned its AW26 runway into a reality show Reebok Your favourite Reeboks are getting a makeoverStreet style AW26: Maximalist dressing is alive and well in LondonGucci AW26: Everything you missed at Demna’s blockbuster runway debutStill got it! The 00s Mulberry Bayswater bag is making a comeback Antonio MarrasAntonio Marras wants us to stop and smell the roses for AW26 Reebok How Dazed Clubbers are styling their Reebok ClassicsPrada’s frazzled Italian women stripped off multiple times adidas OriginalsSamuel L Jackson is on a quest to find his SuperstarsDiary of a debut: Inside Petra Fagerström’s London Fashion Week breakoutDazed China is launching in June 2026 – here’s what you need to knowEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy