Launched online on November 6 on the occasion of the Stranger Things Day, the line of the historic French fashion house conceived in partnership with Netflix, is the perfect combination of the distinctive style of the current Balmain’s creative director, the talented Olivier Rousteing, with the irresistible 80s vibes that made the well-known Netflix series so captivating and trendy.
Previews of this collaboration appeared at the Balmain festival during the Paris fashion week, when some prints from the collection were presented in a pop-up of “Stranger Things”. Olivier Rousteing welcomed the proposal with extreme enthusiasm, giving life to a collection of garments that deliberately take inspiration from the scenarios, music, graphics, colors and make-up and hair-styling trends of the era in which the series is set, perhaps even by the characters themselves.
“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,” said 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.”
The result is a collection of unisex clothing and accessories characterized by combinations of bold patterns and colors, oversized silhouettes, mix and match prints with psychedelic and abstract decorations, reinterpretations of typical elements of the era such as high-waisted bootcut jeans, cardigans, shirts bowling shirts and all-over print hoodies, all enriched with “Stranger Things” themed patches and badges and complemented by accessories such as the mixtape-shaped iPhone cover and Balmain’s B-court sneakers.
The Balmain x Stranger Things collection is available at the Balmain flagships in Los Angeles and Paris, on the French maison’s website and on the Netflix Shop section.
