GILDED SIGNATURES: THE RADIANCE OF GOLD
THE HOUSE CODES
Gold is a key color for each and every Balmain collection. Even when it’s just a touch, it helps underline Balmain's legacy as one of the historic French houses, allowing for the type of luxury that only a true a Parisian telier can create.
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Recalling a legacy of royal, imperial, and artistic histories, Pierre Balmain’s iconic silhouettes have featured gold adornments since the 1940s. As a radiant, sunlit hue, the use of gold in Parisian couture in the post-war era transcended mere decoration—it embodied a cultural shift, a desire for rebirth, and carried potent symbolism of optimism, excellence, and timeless beauty. Across cultures and centuries, gold has signified divinity, prestige, and permanence. In the decorative arts, it conveys timeless luxury and meticulous artistry—values intrinsic to Balmain’s heritage. It is both material and message: a declaration of presence, finesse and allure.
A GOLDEN HERITAGE
From his earliest designs, Pierre Balmain paired lavish maxi chains with couture silhouettes and accentuated tailored jackets with gold buttons or chains, evoking the prestigious elegance of military uniforms. At Balmain, gold details traditionally emphasize structure, elevate formality, and highlight craftsmanship.
While the reliance on golden tones may underline Balmain’s heritage as a Parisian luxury house, Olivier Rousteing and his team always use the rich color in a strikingly modern ways, reflecting the way today’s Balmain Army recruits live their lives.
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EGYPTIAN GOLD
Balmain’s Resort 2023 collection found inspiration in Egypt’s maximal-meets-minimal dynamic, relying on the finesse of the Balmain ateliers for sleek and sensual, perfectly tailored, woven, pleated and draped designs—which were wonderfully complemented by intense Egyptian blues, scarab-inspired iridescents and many ornate plays on animal patterns, serpents and plumage. Throughout, Olivier Rousteing included several incredible creations relying on shining gilded touches and surfaces, for a truly luxe collection.
Pre-Spring 2023 collection
Timeless yet ever-evolving, gold continues to shine as a signature of Balmain’s unmistakable style: bold, opulent, and unapologetically modern.
Spring-Summer 2025 runway's fittings
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From intricate embroidery of gold acanthus leaves echoing classical motifs to the delicate shimmer of gold lace gracing an evening gown, each piece embodies the precision and poetry of the Maison’s craft. A bolero densely worked with gold threads and crystals radiates regal intensity, while most recently, gold takes futuristic form in a crocodile-embossed dress crafted with a cutting-edge 3D technique—fusing tradition with innovation.
Fall-Winter 2025 runway's backstage
THE BALMAIN
ARMY
