Earlier this week Z2 Comics announced a collaboration with French luxury fashion house Balmain. Balmain Dreams: 10 Or is a graphic novel anthology that features stories spotlighting famous runway designs from the titular company. Today The Beat is pleased to offer an exclusive first look at five pages from the anthology by iconic comics artist David Mack.
Here’s how Z2 Comics describes Balmain Dreams: 10 Or:
Containing more than a dozen illustrated short stories, with each tale focused on one signature Balmain runway design, BALMAIN DREAMS: 10 OR is a graphic novel that builds a series of dreamscapes and fantasies directly upon the key inspirations behind iconic Balmain pieces. Z2 Comic timed the release of this new work to coincide with Balmain’s celebrations marking Olivier Rousteing’s ten years as the house’s Creative Director.
“Balmain has long relied on telling stories in new and daring ways, ever since Pierre Balmain showed his first collection in 1945,” notes Olivier Rousteing. “And I am determined to continue to build upon that unique heritage. That is why I am so thrilled to see our designs inspiring some of today’s most talented graphic storytellers. Each creation my team and I put forth every season has an inspiration behind it—and I love seeing how those ideas and visions have been used to imaginatively construct some very compelling adventures.”
Along with Mack, other contributors to the anthology include Colleen Doran, Alitha E. Martinez, Bengal, and Dani, among others. A percentage of the proceeds from sales of Balmain Dreams: 10 Or will go to benefit (Red), an organization dedicated to combatting global health emergencies like AIDS and, now, COVID-19.
David Mack is an Eisner Award-nominated interior and cover artist. The creator of Kabuki, Mack has also recently teamed with longtime friend Brian Michael Bendis for the Jinxworld series Cover, which is currently being developed for television at HBO Max.
Check out the five-page preview of Mack’s contribution to the forthcoming book below. The Balmain Dreams: 10 Or graphic novel anthology is shipping from Z2 Comics right now.
