The Balmain Resort 2023 collection was packed with overt, hyper-representative references to an ancient Egyptian source—Tutunkhamun’s mask, the material entombment of mummies, the scarab, and the asp that Cleopatra grasped to her bosom.

The blue and gold Tutankhamun pieces echoed the canard under which Rousteing, who was adopted and had no information about his pedigree until recently, grew up. “My parents always thought I was Egyptian,” he said. “So it was always part of my DNA, in a sense.” Rouesting honored that truly personal connection in a collection that of course would have best been presented in the shadow of the pyramids, but for arbitrary reasons is not.

The designer said that his clients are increasingly drawn to individual, atelier-fashioned pieces—“like art”—in order to generate the warm feeling of owning a one-off. Chief examples here included a fierce spiky dress made of wood lined in knit, and the gleamingly metallic animalia pieces. The beautiful, oyster-ish cocoon shapes were amongst the many air-kisses blown at the house’s couture founder.

Rousteing has recently become obsessed with platforms, which elevated many looks here.