These days, it’s hard not to mention Balmain as one of the top fashion brands in the world.

From the biker jeans to the t-shirts emblazoned with the logo and his Kardashian slash Jenner slash supermodel filled ‘Balmain Army’, the image has almost become bigger than the brand. And the person at the epicenter of this colossal whirl wind is the creative director Olivier Rousteing.

With his international appeal and a brand that has become so synonymous with hip hop culture, most people think the French designer is actually American. For his spring 2018 men’s show for Balmain, Rousteing decided to explore this further. The collection was enriched with American flavor with some garments decorated with motifs from the American flag. Stars and stripes were seen on sweaters, bags and biker jackets. The stripe theme was also carried over onto everything from leather pants, embroidered tuxedo jackets and top coats.

Balmain

The American influence was not only seen in stars and stripes. The style of early western culture was also felt in garments like fringe jackets and paisley embroidery reminiscent of cowboys of yesteryear. This, however, would be if the cowboys had access to a top notch couturier. The aesthetic of Balmain never disappoints when it comes to details. Tapping into it’s couture heritage, Rousteing can be counted on for incorporating luxe fabrics and exquisite embroidery in every collection.

As with every men’s collection

Olivier Rousteing added a fair share of women’s looks in the show. Most of the women’s looks incorporated some form of lace, embroidery and daring thigh high lace up boots. They played the perfect companion to the guys, giving young and in love couples something to aspire to.

The marrying of Balmain to hip hop culture seems to only grow with time as the hip hop community is ever present in the fashion community. One thing that is certain is as long as Balmain creates quality clothing, it will never go out of style.