BALMAIN X STRANGER THINGS

NOVEMBER 2022

Balmain and Netflix partnered on a limited-edition Balmain x Stranger Things Collection

Balmain has long been closely associated with a distinctively Parisian savoir-faire—whether it’s Pierre Balmain’s fresh-and-feminine, post-war “New French Style” or the bold, renewed French style of today’s Balmain—but ever since 2016, Balmain Creative Director Olivier Rousteing has been spending a whole lot of time in mid-eighties Hawkins, Indiana and Lenora, California.

Like so many others, Rousteing is an enthusiastic follower of the Duffer Brothers’ blockbuster Netflix fantasy-horror series Stranger Things.

Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things

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Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things

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He binges on each season’s new adventures as soon as Netflix releases them and he’s been dedicated to following the main characters, a small gang of misfits, as they progress through middle and high school, constantly forced to band together to battle against an impressive army of supernatural monsters, Cold-War villains, mad scientists and adolescent bullies.

BALMAIN X STRANGER THINGS

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As compelling as each season’s storyline might be, Rousteing admits that he is equally fascinated by the absolute perfection of the series’ eighties-era settings, music, graphics, colors, hair, make-up and, above all, wardrobe choices. “I was born in 1985, and the four seasons of Stranger Things take place in America from 1983-1986, so of course, none of this is anywhere near to what we were all wearing when I was going to my lycée in Bordeaux, France, many years later,” notes Rousteing. “But how could you not be in awe of all those incredible looks? I may not be a child of that moment, but those familiar with my Balmain runways already know that I’ve always been mesmerized by the singular pop spirit of that era—so, when Netflix reached out to me to design a special, limited-edition Balmain x Stranger Things collection, I was immediately on board.”

For his designs for the Balmain x Stranger Things limited-edition collection of clothing and accessories, Olivier Rousteing deftly channeled the type of bright and effervescent stylings and inimitable cuts that set apart the eighties’ music videos, jazzercise workouts and mall-rat uniforms—with Rousteing and his design team carefully finishing off each offering with the expert tailoring and rich embellishments that one expects from Balmain.

Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things
Balmain x Stranger Things

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Stranger Things logos, icons and catch phrases are paired with oversized, boldly patterned tops, tights and perfectly tailored ‘80s denim. A special edition of the house’s best-selling B-Court Sneaker was adapted to the collaboration’s distinctive spirit and a Balmain iPhone case morphed into the type of personalized mix tape that hasn’t been spotted on the streets since CDs replaced cassettes.

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