Kate Moss in FW09 Balmain

NB. This image does not belong to us and we are using it in a non-commercial way for the purposes of commentary only. Image source: Metro.co.uk.

Breaking every Hapsical rule about featuring celebrities, we couldn't resist posting this, partly because it's Kate Moss and partly because it's about time we addressed 'Balmania'. Frankly, we are sick of Balmain, with the ridiculous price tags, the absurdly bad men's collection, the silly wide-shouldered silhouette, and the fact that almost everyone seems to have fallen under the spell (No!, we want to scream, The French Vogue team did NOT look good in their Balmain in Jak&Jil pics! A trashy £8,000 denim jacket seen on Rihanna is not something to aspire to! See the light people!). It speaks volumes that, thus far, our favourite 'Balmain' has not been Balmain at all, but rather Balmain-esque looks done on the cheap by young people on street style websites, using DIY acid washed jeans, vintage military jackets or high street copies of the real thing, and DIY studded sandals or those Zara or Aldo ones. These people are the right age to be wearing this trashy, rock aesthetic (as opposed to those who can afford the real stuff, who are significantly older on the whole), and when it's not costing more than something genuinely beautiful from Chanel or Balenciaga it is, in our eyes, more excusable.

Anyway, all this was until we saw pictures of Kate Moss, already wearing fall/winter 2009 Balmain, and we slightly warmed to Balmain again, because she pulls it off so well. Trust Mossy to get in there with the FW09 already, making Victoria Beckham, Rihanna, Beyoncé and the like look decidedly 'old news' in their SS09 jackets. Even Anna dello Russo, queen of Balmain, whose style we love otherwise, hasn't got in there yet with the fall/winter collection.

NB. This image does not belong to us and we are using it in a non-commercial way for the purposes of commentary only. Image source: Myfashionlife.com.

We love the glamour of it, the sparkle, the fact that it's like a polished up version of Kate Moss's 'rock' style.. it's sort of how Balmain should be, and it works on her, we think, because it fits with her usual style, unlike some of the other celebrities who are just throwing it on because it's Balmain and it's now, regardless of how ridiculous it makes them look, particularly in relation to what they normally wear. Just throwing on an expensive Balmain jacket doesn't necessarily give you the attitude to make it work, but Kate Moss has the credentials (drugs scandal, rockstar boyfriends, party lifestyle..)

What are your opinions? Does Balmain have greater cool cred now Kate has rocked it? Did you love it all along anyway - or has this done little to improve your opinion of it?

On the autumn/winter 09 runway:

Runway picture from Style.com - click to see the entire collection.