French designer Christophe Decarnin liked to say this season's wasn't a collection but a wardrobe. In actuality, this was his last collection for Balmain. That's a useful way to think about the offering, which reprises successes season after season, as well as adding some new tricks to the bag along the way -something that Olivier Rousteing continued for SS12. Balmain is fabulously expensive, but unlike the womenswear, the menswear is more restrained. The military jackets that were such a sensation for the ladies have their analogues here in silver-buttoned peacoats. There's a big emphasis on outerwear in this collection, including a raccoon-hooded parka and an enormous shearling coat. The brand's big splash came from its stretchy, paneled biker jeans, which are here again, but so is a simpler, straight-leg model of Japanese extraction. Styled in piled-on layers, Christophe Decarnin's look can be very aggressive. But piece by piece, its simplicity is its strength. One fashion editor whispered that Balmain is his go-to for dressing "real guys", those who object to capital-F fashion, for shoots. That might raise the eyebrows of Balmainiac mademoiselles, but the label's expanding American fan base won't be surprised. That's what they're buying it for, and amortized over time into cost-per-wear, they might even tell you it's a bargain. ♥
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