Marching band-esque, Thriller-era Michael Jackson jackets with a pair of stonewashed, impeccably constructed jeans: Every after-party dilemma is answered here by the one and only Christophe Decarnin from Balmain. Combining the shameless pop-bedazzled energy that won Gianni Versace a reputation for tackiness, Decarnin has ushered in a new wave of gaudiness for a generation waiting and wanting to be mystified. Despite this ostentatiousness, it's so well done only a true killjoy could fail to smile. The thing that separates Decarnin's Balmain from rehashed rubbish is the execution and styling, as evident in the beautifully distressed jeans and well-crafted, sculptural jackets. The guy has skills—a super-skinny sleeve (sorry, Michelle Obama, this isn't for you), intricately placed from a brilliant new shoulder with a set of wings to add a dash of swagger to this outerwear. The eighties never looked this good.
Now, onto the jeans, which are as skinny as ever. Decarnin can make a pair of jeans that would bring Levi Strauss to tears and a little resentment for not realizing the true potential of denim. The labyrinthine combination of jean materials with a biker vibe can be, at times, convoluted, but also wildly brilliant. However, despite all these accolades, I must admit that Decarnin, after two seasons of repeating the jean/jacket combo, needs to switch it up and bring some change, Obama style; in the end, I'm sure he will not bore us.
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