Surprise! Gigi Hadid just made a second trip round the Place Vendôme to close out Vogue World 2024 in Paris. And who better to dress her for the venerated closing spot than Balmain?

Tasked with creating a finale dress that matched the splendor of the fashion-filled show, creative director Olivier Rousteing turned to his home country for inspiration. “The first thing you’ll notice is this billowing blue skirt,” he tells Vogue. “I wanted the color to recall the blue of the French flag. That electric blue is also a part of the house and our DNA. From there, you’ll notice the draped gold bustier. Armor-like in its construction, the bustier is inspired by the Marianne de France, which is a symbol of strength from the French Revolution. Beyond that, the gold represents strength and, of course, timelessness. It is also gold that surrounds our incredible City of Light.”

Vogue World 2024 paid homage to the past 100 years of fashion, in dialogue with popular French sports. Hadid walked (or, rather, trotted) down the runway for the first time in the equestrian section wearing Hermès. For her final lap, she traded in her tailored coat for a regal dress. It’s an especially significant pairing. “Balmain was one of the first shows [Gigi] walked in Paris in 2014 or 2015, so it feels like we have come full circle,” Rousteing says. “It’s amazing to see how her career has grown, to witness her strength and devotion to fashion. Gigi is obviously this generation’s supermodel—which, in my opinion, is akin to being an athlete of sorts—but beyond that she is the new goddess of the fashion world. And the dress I have made is one for a goddess.”

The designer feels that his African heritage is a crucial piece of his French nationality, and to serve as the face of France at Vogue World carries great significance for him. “It feels really quite important to me because of my mix of cultures,” he says. “I am from Bordeaux in the South of France, but I was adopted, with origins in Ethiopia and Somalia. I was born and raised in France, but I have these African roots, and it’s an honor to show that side of French culture.”

For Rousteing, the look is more than a culmination of the past century: It is a look toward the future. “I feel extremely proud to be able to represent that with Vogue World—to show that I am French but from a new generation, for the modern world,” he says.