Balmain Hair Couture SS23 Campaign

January 17, 2023

Balmain Hair Couture SS23 Campaign

When Olivier Rousteing sketched and dreamt about the new Balmain Resort Collection, he imagined the models making their way down a one-of-a-kind, ephemeral Balmain runway, constructed in the shadows of the pharaohs’ legendary pyramids.

“Much of what moved me as a child about the ancient Egyptian civilization’s creations continues to excite me today, as a designer. I’ve always loved how the astonishing minimalism of Egypt’s most impressive signature monuments—those enormous pyramids, those soaring obelisks—finds its perfect complement in the sumptuousness of royal treasuries.” - Olivier Routeing.

With newly appointed Artistic Director Ilham Mestour on hair, we wanted to recreate the modern-day Cleopatra – Cleopatre des temps modernes. The story of a charismatic and intelligent woman that used both qualities to further Egypt’s political aims. She was ruthless, but a popular ruler, with two faces and ever so ambiguous.

To bring the modern-day Cleopatra to life, there is a disconnection in the hair, with different lengths that represent power and potential. A 2-in-1 coupe that mirrors the different sides to a woman that once ruled ancient Egypt for almost 3 decades. “I want a woman to feel strong, like she has no one to answer to but herself.”