1) Maximalism to the max

instagramView full post on Instagram

The Balmain Army wears pink – and ruffles and pearls and fringe and bling (as you do). Creative Director Olivier Rousteing has always been a maximalist, using impressive technical skill to pile the trimmings on to decadent, beautifully cut fabric.

His clothes have weight to them. To wear a Balmain dress or jacket is to feel and look like you’re getting your money’s worth. So in this runway season in which flamboyance and layering have reached new levels – remember Dolce & Gabbana’s glittery, all-sequin finale? – Rousteing, of course, had to own it.

You would be hard-pressed to find a more show-stopping look than the line-up he revealed here: Gigi Hadid in a second skin of a floor-length gown dripping with pearls, swingy fringe and tassels, for example. Or Kendall Jenner, all Amazonian in a laced-up-to-there corset, covered in fur. The biggest of Insta girls in the most viral of Insta looks. Subtle it isn't, but that’s a huge part of the fun.    

2) The hair swap to end all

Kendall went blonde, and so did Karlie. Gigi went dark, as did Lily Donaldson. And Lineisy, controversially, went long and straight. It was like Freaky Friday, only with supermodels, on a Thursday. All that was missing was a wind machine. .

3) Seeing pink

Pink is unavoidable this season and Rousteing’s line-up was further proof. He at least gave us a little variety by choosing a pale, romantic shade, which somewhat softened the bombshell, eat-you-alive sex goddess quality of the clothes. 

4) Kanye West and Kris Jenner were there

It's impossible to talk about the Balmain Army without talking about the Kardashian-West family because the two are really one, cut from the same jewel-encrusted cloth. And I mean that literally; Kanye was wearing a Balmain bomber jacket covered in pearls. In other news, Kris Jenner wore gold and fur.