The Balmain Resort 2021 collection was steeped in Nineties references such as “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman.”

The designer revisited founder Pierre Balmain’s signature “Jolie Madame” style through a pop-culture lens, in sync with his inclusive vision of luxury. He snatched the waists of pastel tweed dresses with built-in corsets, and lopped the hem off a frilled polka dot number that might have been made to hit a polo match.

The collection featured polka dots, a mash-up of graphics and color on T-shirts, jackets, and sequined cocktail dresses. Sherbet denims, militaria in hot colors, and a vista done entirely in sunset-hued-thread embroidery brought to mind the early days of MTV. The heavily encrusted bustiers and lapels will send new-generation Dynasty types into overdrive.

California dreams aside, the designer has parlayed this collection into a way of re-broaching old questions that, in the light of now with the Resort’s small debut effort he plans to expand to a 50% sustainable collection with new kinds of embroidery and sequins included. Examining the house’s DNA is another: Seventy-five years ago, Balmain was founded to cater to a high-society clientele in a different postcrisis context.