10 most memorable moments of Olivier Rousteing at Balmain

Designer Olivier Rousteing launched his Spring Summer 2022 collection to mark his 10 years with Balmain. Let’s take a look back at the most memorable moments during Olivier Rousteing’s time as Creative Director of one of the oldest French fashion houses!

1. Olivier Rousteing becomes Creative Director of Balmain at the age of 25

Rousteing was born in Bordeaux and moved to Paris to study fashion at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode. After only 1 year, Rousteing decided to drop out to work and became an assistant at Roberto Cavalli. In 2011, Rousteing unexpectedly became the Creative Director of Balmain at the age of 25. A person of minority at a very young age rose to the top of one of the most prestigious French fashion houses, which sent a shockwave through the fashion industry at that time. Balmain was in desperate need of a fresh start, and Rousteing was the perfect one to bring a renaissance to the house. 

2. Balmain Fall/Winter 2013 collection

This is a collection that truly marks Rousteing’s signature at Balmain and changed the world of fahsion.  Oversized shoulder, rhinestone miniskirts, and knee-high suede boots were introduced and became the IT products of a whole generation.

3. Balmain Army 

Balmain’s popularity and success are undeniably partially thanks to its A-list friends of the house, including Rihanna, the Kardashians, Kayne West, Beyonce… Instagram was flooded with photos of Olivier Rousteing and his army of celebrity supporters posing on red carpets and lavish parties.

4. H&M x Balmain

Remember the craze around leather jackets in the H&M x Balmain collection? The glamorous campaign featuring Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner was a revelation. Fans queued for days in front of H&M stores worldwide in hope of acquiring the limited collection. Of course, the entire collection was sold out within hours and remains to this day as one of H&M’s most successful collab projects.

5. Balmain Spring/Summer 2019

Olivier Rousteing himself was in the Balmain Spring Summer 2019 campaign alongside with a cast of ’90s supermodels: Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell. The black and white image was impressive and shows the transcendence  between the two generations of high fashion.

6. Balmain returns to Haute Couture

After a 16-year absence from Paris Haute Couture Week, Balmain was back with an impressive collection inspired by both past and an apocalyptic future.  This was also the first Haute Couture collection that Rousteing designed in his career.

7. Balmain Fall/Winter 2019

The show was purely in tribute to Pierre Balmain, the founder of the brand. The long line of models walking the catwalk in the signature 6-button jacket of Pierre Balmain in his lifetime was an unforgettable moment.

8. Balmain Spring/Summer 2021

Due to the impact of the pandemic, Balmain held a show with more than half of the guests attending digitally through screens set up next to the runway. The critically acclaimed collection was inspired by fashion from the 90s combined with a variety of materials and colors.

9. Zendaya in Balmain at Venice Film Festival 2021

Balmain has many memorable moments on the red carpet, but most recently, actress Zendaya wearing  Balmain’s nude dress on the Venice 2021 red carpet truly made our heads turn. This “wet look” dress was custom made by Balmain based on a bust of Zendaya’s body to create the dripping, body-hugging effect.

10. Balmain Spring/Summer 2022

Of course, it is impossible not to mention Olivier Rousteing’s 10th-anniversary collection at Paris Fashion Week this month. With a performance by Doja Cat and the participation of Naomi Campbell, Carla Bruni, and a love letter by Beyonce, this magnificent show is a well-deserved congratulation to Rousteing after 10 years of constructing a glamourous Balmain.