Balmain collection robbed in run-up to Paris fashion show – designer

FILE PHOTO: Models present creations by designer Olivier Rousteing as part of his Spring-Summer 2023 ready-to-wear collection show for fashion house Balmain during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France, September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo

PARIS — French fashion house Balmain has lost dozens of pieces due to be unveiled at a Paris show later this month after a lorry carrying the clothing was hijacked, its creative director Olivier Rousteing said.

Rousteing said in an Instagram post that thieves seized the vehicle carrying some 50 items from Balmain’s new collection between a Paris airport and the label’s headquarters in the French capital.

The lorry driver was safe, he said.

“We are redoing everything but this is so disrespectful,” he said in his message.

Balmain is due to present its 2024 spring-summer collection on September 27 during the Paris Fashion Week, which features high-end labels including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, and Hermes.

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A spokesperson for Balmain confirmed that the Paris show would go ahead, declining to comment about the robbery pending an investigation.

Balmain is controlled by Mayhoola, an investment vehicle backed by Qatar’s royal family.