“I’m Seeing the Moodboard”: Mel Ottenberg on Balmain SS26

THURSDAY 10:16 AM OCTOBER 2, 2025 PARIS

Last night, Olivier Rousteing sent an army of supermodels in earthen looks down a runway in the opulent Salon Opéra at the Hotel InterContinental in Paris. After the VIC-studded show, our editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg got in the car for a quick debrief on the Balmain Spring Summer ’26 collection.

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TAYLORE SCARABELLI: We just walked out of the Balmain show past a huge crowd of kids—

MEL OTTENBERG: Huge!

SCARABELLI: …waiting for the celebrities that were in there. I mean I don’t know who was there but I did have a moment with Cara Delevingne.

OTTENBERG: I like that for you. I’m gonna get referential here for a second. I’m seeing the moodboard. There’s this Naomi Campbell picture from I think 1991 in an Azzedine Alaia miniskirt made of shells with a long sleeve hooded thing. 

SCARABELLI: Gorgeous. 

OTTENBERG: I’ve been clocking a lot of references this season, and I adore them. Also this cover of American Vogue from 1989 of Linda by Demarchelier and Carlene Cerf that’s like shells and sandals. I’m with it. 

SCARABELLI: The shell dresses were sexy. And I was like thank you for actually doing a spring, summer show. I mean, it was borderline resort. 

OTTENBERG: Yes, because the summers are hot. We’re in global warming. 

SCARABELLI: Exactly. 

OTTENBERG: Spring, summer doesn’t always need to be for March. 

SCARABELLI: Yeah. Yeah. It’s for the southern hemisphere too. 

OTTENBERG: True. 

SCARABELLI: And I have to say I love pulling up to the show and seeing a specific line labeled “VIC.” And going in there and seeing the people that buy and love the brand. 

OTTENBERG: Oh my god, the VIC’s were so exciting. I’m so exhausted and I sat down with some editors and I wasn’t in my video reign. But I saw some unbelievable–

SCARABELLI: I got one good one. 

OTTENBERG: Did you see the woman wearing a strapless cheetah belted corset? 

SCARABELLI: Oh my god. It might’ve actually been her. 

OTTENBERG: She was electrifying. I love the VIC’s. I’m gonna say that I love shells too. Also, those pants, I don’t know if I love them but I’m into it from him. 

SCARABELLI: The harem pants. 

OTTENBERG: He’s walking the walk. Talking the talk. 

SCARABELLI: He has a vision, he has a moodboard, and he knows what works for his clients. Everything is giving glamour even if it’s a little boho. It’s always punchy. 

OTTENBERG: The way I see it is we need designers with a vision. And I j’adore les références. Also, I was thinking about the Christophe Decarnin era and I feel like he was looking at that too. I like that. For the vintage girls out there: I bet Balmain eBay is a really good thing to be shopping right now. 

SCARABELLI: It’s the army green stuff. I need the vintage skinnies. 

OTTEBERG: I wonder when that was? 

SCARABELLI: Like, 2007?

OTTENBERG: Yes, and I was here in Paris standing at that show being like, “Wow this is really cool.”

SCARABELLI: I mean, that was an epic era. My friend just bought a pair of those leather mini shorts. 

OTTENBERG: Hot. Maybe she should pair it with shell sandals, a boho top, and a long fringed bag dropping with charms.

SCARABELLI: Very that!