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The French luxury label Balmain is collaborating with the Natural Mineral Water label Evian to present a limited-edition haute couture dress at Paris Fashion Week during the Balmain Festival. Hot on the heels of the French luxury house's successful partnership with Pokemon, the label is back for another unusual fashion collaboration.
The dress will be unveiled on Thursday, September 28, 2022, at 6.30 pm PST at the Balmain Festival alongside the unveiling of the SS23 collection. The duo will be launching sustainable innovation and creativity front and center. On the more commercial side, the dynamic duo will launch a 75cL limited-edition glass bottle.
More about the Balmain X Evian couture gown made of plastic bottles unveiling during the Balmain Festival at Paris Fashion Week
The sustainable couture gown is designed and created by the iconic fashion designer and Balmain's artistic director Olivier Rousteing. The dress is constructed and woven out of a fine monofilament yarn crafted from recycled Evian plastic bottle waste.
The dress' design draws its inspiration from the magnetic pathway of a whirlpool. Rousteing harnesses the sculptural possibilities of the innovative, sustainable, and recycled fabric while playing with the volumes and exaggerations. The dress is constructed using pleating techniques to multiply its ever-changing aquatic shimmer.
Olivier Rousteing is known to carry the torch for maximalist attitude, and he insisted on a dramatic, elaborate, and swirling couture gown for the surprising collaboration. In an interview with Forbes, Olivier Rousteing comments on the importance of addressing sustainability within the fashion industry. He says:
"As we all know, the fashion industry needs to honestly face past shortcomings and finally admit that we can no longer postpone long-delayed changes. That’s why I’ve pushed for inclusive runways that reflect the real beauty of our world and more sustainable materials that respect the need to preserve that incredible beauty."
He further announces the collaboration and talks about how it helps him take a step forward in his goals:
“And that’s why I am so happy to announce Balmain’s new partnership with Evian, one of France’s most iconic brands. evian has helped make clear to all of us that an embrace of the values of integrity and beauty can help form the basis of refreshingly honest communications, as well as carbon-neutral, sustainable products.”
Olivier uses Balmain's publicity to generate clout since the platform calls attention towards the environmental impact of plastic waste. Additionally, the dress is constructed out of 46% recycled plastic fabric.
Like Balmain's creative director, Evian's label is also excited about the collaboration. Dawid Borowiec, Global Director, comments on the collaboration in an interview with Forbes:
“Building on our strong existing presence in global fashion partnerships, it has been an incredible experience working with Balmain and Olivier Rousteing, celebrating legacy, optimism, and a shared determination to push forward sustainable innovation in the industry,”
He further reveals what their upcoming dress will look like virtually:
“Our Evian x Balmain gown is a shining example of something striking and unique that can be achieved at the intersection of innovation, design, and sustainability, which we hope will inspire many.”
According to Rousteing, he has always wanted to create a dress that resembles a huge wave. The fabric of the dress looks metallic and watery, making it have a modernistic touch.
The dress is going to be in a pristine white hue.The dress' pleated details will be added to Balmain's reputation for haute couture craftsmanship. The dress is given high volume and exaggeration to convey that the recycled fabrics are just as capable of glamor and fashion work.
The haute-couture dress can be easily upcycled, recycled, or turned back into water bottles in the future. The dress will ultimately be sold and the proceeds will go to charity.
