PAST and present merge in the latest Balmain accessories line designed by Olivier Rousteing, looking toward the brand’s founder – Pierre Balmain – as key inspiration, yet injecting a fierce dosage of modernity for which Rousteing has become known for.
Timeless yet predictable? The leather luggage trunk has withheld its status as one of the most identifiable statements of luxury throughout the eras, yet it is perhaps a silhouette that has become so heavily saturated that it a revamp is overdue. Enter the new B-Buzz Dynasty line.
Balmain B-Buzz Dynasty. Photography by Francesca Beltran
Practical yet bold, the bags derive influence from the architectural history embedded in the house’s archive, but foremost the globe-wandering spirit of Pierre Balmain. During his time at the helm of the house, Monsieur Balmain was notorious for travelling far and wide, introducing his ‘New French Style’ to different corners of the globe, while searching for inspiration to infuse into his own line.
Rousteing takes this attitude as a fixed point of inspiration, adding in key elements of travel luggage into the bag, including a vanity mirror, a name plate, finishing studs and a unique B-turn lock.
by Ben Sanderson