Balmain blends beauty and fashion in ‘power face’ show

Balmain merged fashion and beauty with beaded faces, blush silks and lipstick-style suits at Paris Fashion Week.

“I wanted to include the beauty world into the fashion world,” said creative director Olivier Rousteing to WWD, “and I believe that that’s going to be a really strong twist for the future.”

The show coincided with the official launch of a new range of Balmain perfumes, created by licensee Estée Lauder Companies. The cosmetic company’s executive chairman, William P. Lauder, sat in the audience, witnessing Balmain’s bold embrace of beauty first-hand.

The theme of the evening was clear: the face. Rousteing told Into The Gloss in 2012 that, “the face is the sexiest part of a woman’s body,” which was evident in his spring/summer 2025 collection.

The intricate beaded portraits weren’t just visually stunning but were the night’s defining trend, making “The Power Face” a must-watch style for the season.

Yet Rousteing, 38, continued to stake claim to his don’t-mess-with-me shoulders and intensely dramatic silhouettes that have defined his 13-year tenure at Balmain.

Dresses and tops resembled wearable make-up palettes – with spritzes of beads and rich fabrics mimicking rouges and blush.

Even accessories, like the footwear and hardware, took inspiration from Balmain’s newly launched Les Éternels fragrance bottles, which feature a glossy, ridged texture.

Models carrying perfume bottles down the runway made it clear that Balmain’s collaboration with Estée Lauder, announced earlier this year, is about to reshape the luxury beauty space.

Rousteing’s runway featured women of all ages, with model Paulina Porizkova, 59, gracing the catwalk.

This commitment to representing multi-generational beauty has become a hallmark of Balmain under Rousteing’s leadership, and while many brands are hyper-focused on youth, the creative director embraces beauty at every age, which resonated powerfully in last night’s show.

True to his roots, Rousteing paid homage to his French upbringing by incorporating recurrent motifs like classic marinière stripes and busy tweed. While this added a traditional touch, the bold shapes and avant-garde designs pushed the collection into a realm of edgy modernity.

Long-term muse of the label, Cardi B, sat front row and channelled old-age glamour in an outfit of forest green feathers and gold.

A departure from the rapper’s usual risqué get-ups, Cardi B’s custom Balmain look complimented the show’s theme perfectly: classic beauty.

Media personalities, Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz, also appeared in pared-back matching black ensembles.

After the show, Rousteing simply said, “This show is me.” Indeed, the collection wasn’t just a reflection of Balmain’s evolution – it was a declaration of where the brand is headed.

With beauty now at the forefront, and the launch of Balmain Beauty on the horizon, Rousteing is expanding his empire in ways that few could have predicted back in 2011.