On April 26, 2011, Oliver Rousteing was announced as Creative Director of Balmain, replacing Christophe Decarnin. At 24 years old, the relatively new designer made history by being at the helm of a heritage fashion house at such a young age. Now, 16 years later, he is stepping down after transforming the maison with his youthful, glamorous energy. And redefining the world of fashion as we know it, we take a look back at just how influential Oliver Rousteing’s time at Balmain was.
As a young Black designer, the pressure was on for Rousteing. Yet his fearless spirit charged through Balmain, delivering as soon as he entered through the doors. Undoubtedly, Oliver Rousteing’s time at Balmain defined so much of what we know about early 2010s fashion. In 2011, he launched a menswear line, trading the classic suit for boxy jackets and pointed, sharp shoulders. Whereas his mini dress had a cult fanbase all on its own. Seen on the likes of the Kardashian-Jenners, Beyoncé, and Demi Lovato, among others, it was a picturesque moment for whoever wore it. The short hemline juxtaposed with the high neckline, sharp, strong power shoulders and covered in embellishments—what we would now consider as dated was the pinnacle of glamour.
In fact, a lot of Rousteing’s road to success at Balmain was understanding glamour. A heady blend of sensuality and strength were key aspects of his designs, which got people turning heads. Especially at red carpets, where glamorous dressing was taken up a notch through Rousteing’s bespoke creations. We’re talking about Justin Bieber’s boxy black jacket embroidered with golden tigers for the 2015 Met Gala, Priyanka Chopra’s all white crystal embellished gown with a feather train for the 2017 Emmy Awards, Lil Nas X’s 2022 Grammys suit dripped in pearls, and Cate Blanchett’s dramatically pointy shoulders at the 2023 Costume Designers Guild Awards, among others. Frankly, there are too many good red carpet looks to count, pointing to Rousteing’s understanding of how clothes can grab the spotlight.
Rousteing was also one of the few to break down the gatekeeping barriers within the fashion space. He embraced technology as it came, opening an Instagram account in 2013 to connect with people and blending Balmain’s designs with NFTs in 2022. In 2015, he joined the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, and his previous place of employment, Roberto Cavalli, by collaborating with H&M. Releasing a capsule collection that was sold out instantaneously, the collection featured many recreations that we had previously seen on Rousteing’s runways.
Rousteing was the driving force behind many collaborations. Mattel for Barbie, Disney, Netflix, even Evian, the water brand! But his best work came with his celebrity muses, notably the Kardashian-Jenner family. Working with them even before they “broke the internet” with their influence, part of their notoriety is in conjunction with Balmain. Especially for Kim Kardashian, whose infamous looks that were the subject of many discussions online, were all pointed back to Rousteing’s work. Whereas “Beychella” had Rousteing all over it, designing custom looks for Beyonce, Solange, her band, and her troupe of dancers.
Beyond the paparazzi’s spotlight, Rousteing also brought his sentimentality to Balmain. Growing up as an orphan in Bordeaux, France, he was adopted at the age of one. Questions on his race, heritage, and belonging are key themes that Rousteing has tackled during his tenure at Balmain, and we see these questions reflected in his collections. For Balmain’s Womenswear SS20, he references his childhood in playful designs and for Balmain’s Menswear AW20, he channelled softness in a sand-duned set referencing his Somalian and Ethiopian roots.
Showing that he can do both, reflect on his roots while also bringing in the glitz and glam, the creative director proved that his age and inexperience when he first entered Balmain weren’t obstacles, but driving forces. Now, while the musical chairs of creative directors start again, we eagerly wait to see his next move, while we all collectively mourn the gaping glamorous hole that he has left.
