Balmain will celebrate the opening of Paris' digital fashion week by sending a fashion boat down the River Seine on Sunday (05.07.20) evening.

The French fashion house will mark both fashion week - for haute couture and the men's collections - and the easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions in the capital city by launching a barge, nicknamed Balmain's Sur Seine, featuring musical performances and a fashion exhibit.

Creative director Olivier Rousteing said in a statement: ''I think every one of us will forever remember this past spring as being a dark one, marked by strange new fears and mandatory isolation. Even for those lucky enough to only have had to deal with Zoom frustrations and cabin fever, the recent confinement made very clear just how much we had taken for granted until that moment. Forced apart, we suddenly realised that we depended on being together.

''Balmain is all about optimism, and after this period I wanted to bring back this optimism that this brand has been known for.''

To mark the 75th anniversary of the French fashion house, models will also wear pieces from Balmain's archive - including creations from Pierre Balmain, Erik Mortensen and Oscar de la Renta -while the show will feature a performance from French singer Yseult.

Social distancing will be enforced on the boat and members of the public will be able to watch from the river bank.

The show will also be featured on TikTok.