Liquid Leather, Elegant Draping, and the #1 Jacket Trend for 2026—Antonin Tron Ushers In a New Era at Balmain

This is a debut that has everyone at the edge of their seat. After 14 years with Olivier Rousteing at the helm, it's been quite some time since Balmain had a brand new creative director. Once it was announced that Antoin Tron would be assigned the role, a new layer of excitement and buzz has surrounded the brand and what it would come to be. Spectacle and statement has long been part of their runway show DNA but this season felt more intentional while making a quiet statement.

What makes this debut compelling is how it deliberately looks backward in order to move forward. With it's forward-thinking designs and exciting celebrity placements, Balmain feels brand new season after season but we can't neglect that the house was established in 1945. Tron sought after a collection that would spotlight the female form not only in physical shape but also in society. It's a collection this season that simply can't be missed.

Once the looks start appearing on the runway, the direction becomes clear. Tron’s vision for Balmain is what he calls “minimal opulence”—sensual, sculpted, and just a little bit dangerous. The result feels like a reset for the house, especially with a theme that is set to define a new era.

1. A New Face in Town

For Antonin Tron, stepping in as the new Creative Director at Balmain, after Olivier Rousteing's 14 years at the helm, isn’t about rewriting the house—it’s about starting a new, aligned chapter. He's known in the fashion industry as a protégée to Anthony Vacarello so ahead of the show, it was expected that this collection could draw inspiration from his time at Saint Laurent. He is also known for his work at Atlein, where draped jersey and body-conscious silhouettes became a signature. Tron brings a sense of thoughtfulness to cut and movement that feels like a natural evolution of how Balmain fits into this modern era.

2. Back to the Beginnings

A noteworthy guiding principle behind the collection, was a return to origin. In recent years, the brand has evolved to a different place than where the original collections took us. Tron has spent the past few months immersing himself in the work of Pierre Balmain, pulling from the house’s earliest years to shape its future. That influence comes through not in literal reproductions, but in the shoes of the woman the brand was initially designed to dress.

The Balmain woman, as originally envisioned, was classy, feminine, and unapologetically herself. She was glamorous, yes, but never conventional. Tron taps into that spirit through silhouettes that nod to the late ’40s where the brand story begins: sculpted shoulders, draping at the waist, and that emerging peplum line that feels poised for a comeback. It’s a reminder that Balmain’s roots weren’t about the maximalism the brand has become known for—they were about precision, allure, and a certain kind of confidence that doesn’t need to announce itself.

3. Liquid Leather

One of the most striking elements of this collection is the leather that doesn't behave like leather. Instead of being stiff, strong, and structured—it moves. Glossy, fluid, almost weightless and buttery soft—it even catches the light upon every movement. It's a subtle but important shift as the fashion house has been known for structured moments but takes on a new persona with these leather looks.

4. Modern Drapes

Draping has always been part of every fashion house's vocabulary, but in Tron's hands, it feels brand new. The past few seasons, designers have had an eye for this technique and Balmain is fully on board. This is a fabric that doesn't just decorate the body, it becomes it. Jersey fabrics twist and contour to create an opulence that feel quite modern.

5. The 2026 It Jacket

Starting in New York and finally settling in come Paris, this is the fashion month that honored one controversial jacket silhouette and that would just so happen to be peplum. It would present a greater challenge to find a show that didn't spotlight a peplum jacket than it would to find one without it. Structured shoulders, an emphasized waist, and a flare at the hips makes for the ideal silhouette on a woman, so naturally designers are buzzing about it. Balmain's take is subtle yet strong.