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After 14 years, Balmain and creative director Olivier Rousteing have mutually agreed to part ways, the French fashion house announced on Wednesday.
“The House of Balmain wishes to express its deep gratitude to Olivier Rousteing for his remarkable contribution to the history of the Maison,” the company said in a statement. “A new creative organisation will be announced in due course.”
Appointed in 2011 at just 24 years old, Rousteing was the youngest creative director in Paris since Yves Saint Laurent and the first Black creative director of a major European house. Rousteing’s “contribution and passion over the past years will leave an indelible mark in the history of fashion,” said Balmain chief executive Matteo Sgarbossa in the statement.
Over the past decade, Rousteing redefined Balmain’s image with his signature military-inspired aesthetic and the creation of the “Balmain Army” — a social media-savvy collective of celebrity muses including Kim Kardashian West, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner. His flair for the digital sphere saw Balmain launch one of the first branded Snapchat filters, a proprietary app and an early Instagram shopping partnership in 2019.
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Rousteing also revived Balmain’s haute couture line after a 16-year hiatus and expanded its cultural footprint through collaborations with L’Oréal Paris and commissions such as designing Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella costumes.
Born in Bordeaux and adopted at an early age, Rousteing studied at ESMOD in Paris before joining Roberto Cavalli, eventually leading its womenswear division. He joined Balmain in 2009 under Christophe Decarnin, succeeding him two years later and steering the house through its 2016 acquisition by Qatar’s Mayhoola for Investments.
“His visionary leadership has redefined the boundaries of fashion and inspired a generation with bold creativity and authenticity,” said Rachid Mohamed Rachid, CEO of Mayhoola and chairman of Balmain.
“I am profoundly grateful to my exceptional team at Balmain, my chosen family, in a place that has been my home for the past 14 years,” Rousteing said in a statement. “As I look ahead to the future and the next chapter of my creative journey, I will always hold this treasured time close to my heart.”
