Balmain's Creative Director and designer, Olivier Rousteing, shared with Highsnobiety that his inspiration was ignited by The Lion King when he was a young cub. He expressed how, as an adopted child, he resonated with the journey of the lion cub in the movie, building his own distinctive family while seeking truths about his heritage.

Rousteing clarified that his wish to establish a genuine link to his African roots aligned seamlessly with his vision for the collection. The French designer, whose parents hail from Somalia and Ethiopia, collaborated with African artists for the collection's illustrations.

"We traveled to Africa to shoot the beautiful campaign and it was a dream come true," Rousteing told Highsnobriety.

But if you’re expecting images of Simba on the Balmain monogram, you won’t find it in this collection, warns Rousteing. From intricately tailored pieces to highly embellished couture garments, it’s clear that Balmain’s DNA runs right through its collection with Disney. After all, just because it’s Disney, doesn’t mean it can't be couture.

“After years of study, celebration and love for Africa’s wide array of cultures, landscapes and artistic traditions, to be there with the amazing Balmain and Disney teams in celebration of this labor of love was a true honor.”

Well, to Rousteing I guess, Labor, especially labors of love, often come with an expensive price tag.