“We know that even our most daring and modern designs are made stronger when they rest upon a firm foundation. Every collection—even the most modern and audacious collections that I have sent down a Balmain runway—has always, in some way, relied on inspirations to be found in this house’s incredible archives.”
Olivier Rousteing

Although they may have been created several decades ago, all of Monsieur Balmain’s graphic ideas still remain fresh and compelling today. His Labyrinth, a hypnotic motif from the ‘70s, reflects his lifelong fascination with the intricate mazes found inside France’s most beautiful Renaissance gardens. In 1980, Balmain introduced the next generation of that mesmerizing pattern, slightly shifting his focus to the neighboring palaces. Inspired by the endless repetition of contrasting marble squares laid out inside the passages of Versailles and the Loire Valley châteaux, he created a truly regal pattern, which has now been revamped and reissued to cover several of Olivier Rousteing’s silhouettes for fall 2023.

“Heritage and legacy do not just mean that we are inspired by sketches, videos and creations from long ago… it also entails an incredibly high standard that we all feel compelled to do our best to live up to. Balmain, of course, began as an exclusive maison de haute couture—and creating one-of-a-kind pieces in a Parisian couture house has always been an exacting process, involving unmatched tailoring, incredible dressmaking skills, and painstaking finishing touches created by the most highly trained artisans.”
Olivier Rousteing