Olivier Rousteing

Career

Rousteing studied in Paris at ESMOD, the Ecole Superieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode. In 2003, he graduated and began his career as a designer at Roberto Cavalli, where he was promoted to the head of the Italian label’s women’s ready-to-wear collection, where he served five years as creative director. Rousting joined Balmain in 2009. During his time at Balmain he worked closely with, Christophe Decarnin, the French fashion house’s creative director since 2006.

On April 26, 2011, at 24 years old, Olivier Rousteing replaced Christophe Decarnin as the creative director for Balmain. While he liked Decarnin’s aesthetic, he wanted to orient the label towards the finer aspects of French couture. At the time of his appointment, Rousteing was a relatively unknown designer, and has brought a much-needed fresh take on the brand’s aesthetic that remains to this day. He was credited with adding an Asian influence to the clothing, as Asia comprises a huge part of the brand’s buyers. Rousteing says his age, initial anonymity, and especially race led to grumblings amongst the fashion establishment. “People were like, ‘Oh my God, he’s a minority taking over a French house!’ ” Rousteing told Out magazine in 2015.

Since his arrival, men now account for 40 percent of Balmain′s revenue. While the company won′t release figures, estimates are that Balmain′s revenue is up 15 to 20 percent over the past three years. Rousteing opened a Balmain store in London, Balmain′s stand-alone boutique outside of Paris. A New York store is scheduled to open in fall 2015. Other stores are in the planning stage.

With the help of selfies with celebrity friends like the Kardashian clan, Rihanna, Beyonce, and various models, including those from Victoria's Secret, Rousteing attracted 1.3 million followers on Instagram, making Balmain the first French label to pass the million-follower mark.