Since taking over the creative helm of French fashion house Balmain one year ago, designer Antonin Tron has successfully infused a slinky, sensual, and cinematic glamour into the brand’s womenswear collections. Now, the designer is officially turning up the heat in the men’s department, signaling a major strategic evolution for the historic luxury label.
"I wanted something very sexy because the womenswear is also very sexy," Tron explained in an exclusive interview regarding his highly anticipated men’s debut for the pre-spring 2027 season.
The designer chose to unveil this new chapter of "unapologetic masculinity" in tandem with the collection’s commercial arrival in stores. The launch is heavily backed by a provocative advertising campaign depicting bare-chested models lolling around in stacks of hay, wearing little more than tailored shorts and soccer shoes.
Describing the steamy images captured by photographer Matthias Vriens—renowned for his work with prominent Dutch magazine culture—Tron threw out descriptors like "a little bit Mapplethorpe-y, a little cruise-y," alongside "punk" and "playful."
This racy, uninhibited campaign is undoubtedly designed to bring fresh, intense attention to Balmain menswear. Currently, the men’s category accounts for a modest 20 percent of the company’s overall business. In recent years, the division had become largely centered around casual sneakers, prominent logos, and graphic T-shirts, reflecting the broader luxury streetwear craze that dominated the industry over the past decade.
While Tron has dedicated the vast majority of his distinguished fashion career to womenswear—including his work at his currently paused independent brand Atlein, as well as earlier stints at Givenchy, Balenciaga, and Saint Laurent—his design roots actually trace back to menswear. During his time at Antwerp’s prestigious Royal Academy of Arts, his graduate collection was entirely dedicated to men’s evening finery. Furthermore, he spent two formative years designing men’s collections at Louis Vuitton, working closely alongside Paul Helbers.
Now returning to menswear at Balmain, Tron acknowledges that the process holds deep personal significance. "Designing for men, at least for me, is very personal. It’s also about what you like personally and what stage you are in life," he noted.
The strapping designer, who is an avid surfer, is naturally associated with a relaxed, casual aesthetic. During a recent video call, he appeared wearing a plaid Stüssy shirt layered over a faded blue knit, perfectly encapsulating his personal style ethos. Tron boasts a vast personal wardrobe filled with lived-in T-shirts from his favorite heavy metal and goth bands, valuing their authentic patina, wash, and hand just as much as their graphic artwork. His everyday closet also features plenty of vintage Carhartt pieces, classic cowboy boots, and rugged leather biker jackets.
This authentic appreciation for laid-back aesthetics translates directly into his vision for Balmain menswear, which spans a comprehensive wardrobe ranging from sharp business suits and luxurious velvet dinner jackets to fluid, silky, leopard-print shirts.
House founder Pierre Balmain actually designed his very first men’s collection some 60 years ago, debuting for the spring 1967 season. However, Tron noted that he did not actively pore over the house archives for his inaugural menswear effort. Instead, he chose to tap into the exact same wellspring of inspiration that fueled his recent women’s spring and pre-spring collections: California counterculture. This reference point yields a slightly louche, effortlessly cool 1970s feel throughout the garments.
Among the male style icons featured on Tron’s extensive mood board for the debut collection were legendary 1970s surfer David Nuuhiwa, iconic musicians Lou Reed and Andrew Eldritch—the charismatic lead singer of The Sisters of Mercy—alongside 1970s and 1990s Hollywood breakout figures like Brad Pitt and Matthew McConaughey.
Despite the distinct focus on menswear, the designer remains adamant that Balmain’s men’s and women’s collections are designed to "work hand in hand," reflecting a unified aesthetic vision and the exact same core energy. In fact, Tron utilized many of the exact same sophisticated fabrics across both lines—including rich jacquards and intricate fil coupé—and considers several key styles, such as embroidered leather jackets, lace-up trousers, gilded blazers, and premium denim, to be "almost like unisex pieces."
"I wanted the same richness and the same kind of nonchalant attitude—and a bit of a rock vibe—as the women’s," he said of the cohesive approach to the men’s collection.
Tron also noted that he deliberately uses pre-collections to explore the "cooler, more casual" side of the Balmain universe, reserving the main runway presentations for more elaborate, couture-like fashions that showcase the absolute height of the atelier’s craftsmanship.
In a separate interview, Balmain Chief Executive Officer Matteo Sgarbossa described the launch of Tron’s first menswear collection as a critical component of the ongoing transformation of the Paris-based luxury house, reflecting a deliberate, step-by-step approach to brand building.
Indeed, since Sgarbossa assumed his leadership role at the management helm in May 2024, he has taken decisive actions, including pausing various brand collaborations to focus intensely on strengthening the house’s core womenswear business. During his tenure, he has also made key executive hires across merchandising, communications, retail, and client relations. This includes appointing several new zone presidents and reinforcing the dedicated design studio for leather goods, which company leadership views as another category with exceptionally high growth potential.
"We want to do things properly," Sgarbossa stated, outlining an ambitious corporate goal to grow the men’s business until it accounts for 30 to 35 percent of the company’s total revenue. This expansion will rely on a wider, more comprehensive product offering and a stronger fashion point of view that seamlessly extends from daywear to evening attire. "The goal at Balmain is simple: to become bigger. We want to do it leveraging on men as well because the brand resonates with men."
Sgarbossa cited a "very positive reaction" to Tron’s initial womenswear designs from boutique clients, wholesale partners, and entirely new customers alike, confirming that the executive team feels thoroughly prepared to move forward to this next strategic phase.
Tron’s debut men’s designs are scheduled to land in 18 of Balmain’s 44 global boutiques, strategically assigned to locations large enough to adequately display the full breadth and depth of the new offering. For instance, the nearly 1,000-square-foot lower level of Balmain’s striking, gallery-like flagship store located at 23 Via della Spiga in Milan will be entirely dedicated to showcasing the expanded men’s categories.
Meanwhile, prominent wholesale luxury clients taking on the pre-spring menswear collection include high-end retail giants such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Net-a-Porter, and Mytheresa, according to Sgarbossa.
The chief executive officer described a notable new shift in the global luxury menswear marketplace, noting that modern male consumers are increasingly attuned to their personal desires and are "expecting more from a luxury brand" than ever before. Echoing Tron’s sentiments, Sgarbossa vowed a strong, ongoing alignment between the men’s and women’s fashion universes, drawing a direct parallel back to Pierre Balmain’s original men’s debut. That foundational launch, he noted, was "quite bold in the proposition, and very aligned in terms of aesthetics and codes with the women’s. Can you imagine?"
