Olivier Rousteing’s Balmain reign has been steadily motoring toward this peak, when his garments are seen on the Kardashian-Jenners and Cookie Lyon and coveted by New York cool gals and Vegas clubbers alike. (Last November, he took Rihanna to her first vogue ball; this October, he’s featured in the New Yorker.) If H&M is the outlet for the proles, Rousteing has bridged the desires of the non-filthy rich for his absurdly expensive line seamlessly, in a way not really seen since H&M collaborated with Lanvin.
We’ve already seen a couple images, but leaked photos that are purported to show the entire line show that Rousteing has sacrificed none of the luxe, maximalist glitz for the fast fashion retailer—surely the marked down, “affordable” prices on some of these will still be in the hundreds of dollars range—and Rousteing even threw out a couple of bones in the form of logo t-shirts. (His gilded braiding and elaborate prints aren’t for everyone.) The most spectacular pieces, though, emit a distinct eau de Rousteing: extra, elaborate, glamorous. Here are some of our faves.