Olivier Rousteing Logs Out
After a season laden with designer debuts, another luxury house is preparing to welcome a new creative director. After 16 years with Balmain and 14 as its creative director, Olivier Rousteing, 40, is leaving the Parisian brand. A representative for the company said Balmain and Rousteing “mutually agreed to part ways.” No replacement has been announced.
Rousteing was only 24 years old when he took the top job at Balmain and became one of the most famous designers of the Instagram era, posting selfies with Victoria’s Secret models and Justin Bieber before reality stars and influencers were embraced by the fashion Establishment. His personal story was compelling: He was adopted from an orphanage in Bordeaux at 5 months old and became the first Black designer to lead a French luxury house.
He was especially close with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West during the early years of their marriage, casting them in an ad and designing costumes for music videos, which helped boost his “Balmain Army” of online fans and clients. By the time Balmain collaborated with H&M in 2015, Rousteing’s ornate designs — skin-tight silhouettes, waist-cinching belts, and elaborate beading and embroidery — were popular enough beyond the Parisian runways to sell out within minutes.
In 2014, Alain Hivelin, Balmain’s former owner and Rousteing’s mentor, died. Two years later, the Qatari fund Mayhoola acquired Balmain. In recent years, Rousteing expanded into couture and launched Balmain Beauty. He also weathered a traumatic injury: In 2020, he suffered severe burns over the entire front of his body after a gas fireplace exploded in his home.
In 2023, Rousteing said that since he joined Balmain, its revenue had grown from €20 million to €300 million. Rousteing is one of more than a dozen creative directors who have left top posts in recent years as the conglomerates behind many luxury brands look for new talent to shake up lagging sales.
“I arrived at 24 with my eyes wide open and the determination to persevere, always,” wrote Rousteing on Instagram. “Today, I leave the House of Balmain with my eyes still wide open — open to the future and to the beautiful adventures ahead, adventures in which all of you will have a place.”
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