Balmain Launches Antonin Tron's First Menswear Line in 18 Boutiques

Antonin Tron's first menswear collection for Balmain reached stores on Wednesday for the pre-spring 2027 season, and the line will be carried in 18 of the house's 44 boutiques. WWD reported the launch alongside a campaign photographed by Matthias Vriens.

Tron's Menswear Debut at Balmain

Tron said he wanted the men's line to match the sensuality of his womenswear. "I wanted something very sexy because the womenswear is also very sexy," he said. The campaign shows bare-chested models in hay, some wearing only shorts and soccer shoes, which Tron described as "a little bit Mapplethorpe-y, a little cruise-y," along with "punk" and "playful."

The collection runs from business suits and velvet dinner jackets to silky leopard-print shirts, with jacquards and fil coupé fabrics shared with the women's line. Tron called embroidered leather jackets, lace-up trousers, gilded blazers and jeans "almost like unisex pieces." He drew on California counterculture and a 1970s mood, with David Nuuhiwa, Lou Reed, Andrew Eldritch, Brad Pitt and Matthew McConaughey on his mood board. Pierre Balmain designed the house's first men's collection for spring 1967, about 60 years ago; Tron said he did not use the archive.

Balmain menswear currently accounts for 20 percent of the business. CEO Matteo Sgarbossa said he aims to raise that to 30 to 35 percent with a broader offer spanning day and evening. "The goal at Balmain is simple: to become bigger," he said. "We want to do it leveraging on men as well because the brand resonates with men." Sgarbossa said wholesale clients taking the collection include Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Net-a-porter and Mytheresa. The nearly 1,000-square-foot lower level of the Milan flagship at 23 Via della Spiga will show the expanded men's categories.

Balmain's Creative Reset Under Tron

According to akta.pro company records, Balmain appointed Tron as creative director in November 2025, replacing Olivier Rousteing after a 14-year tenure. The same records show the house debuted Tron's Fall-Winter 2026 "Film Noir Version 2.0" collection at Paris Fashion Week in March 2026, and that revenue grew from $34 million to over $344 million in 2024 during Rousteing's tenure.

Earlier Balmain Launches This Year

In July 2026, Bergdorf Goodman launched Tron's debut fall 2026 Balmain collection with a one-month exclusive U.S. retail launch and a window display at its New York flagship, WWD reported. Balmain opened a 300 square-metre flagship boutique at 23 Via della Spiga in Milan in October 2026, according to Fashionnetwork. Tron presented Balmain's Spring/Summer 2027 collection at Hôtel de Maisons in September 2026, WhoWhatWear reported, blending Parisian glamour with 1960s-70s California counterculture.