Class of 1985, Olivier Rousteing is the Artistic Director of the House of Balmain for more than 10 years. Rousteing has been able to bring his unmistakable style to the historic French Maison by drawing inspiration from the rich Balmain archives.

He has created a modern and inclusive “New French Style,” which combines unique silhouette’s giving a very contemporary approach to his designs. This also is an homage to his own personal path and growth in the city of Paris. The French capital which is now an evolved eternal city whose dynamism and diversity have influenced every Balmain collection for more than 75 years. 

Rousteing studied Fashion at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD) in Paris. At the age of 18, he moved to Italy where he worked for Roberto Cavalli for five years, growing from intern to designer to read-to-wear collections for men and women. 

When in 2011, Rousteing was put in charge of the Balmain creative team- at 25 years old- he became one of the youngest designers in history to run a historic French Maison. 

Aware of his origins and his path, he stated: “I am different from the other artistic directors of the Parisian fashion houses, I am determined to seize the opportunity to make new things happen and change what needs to be changed. The world is rapidly changing outside our ateliers and the mentality and beautiful diversity we see on the streets today are a constant source of inspiration for me. This is why I will always look for honesty, direct communication, true inclusion and democratization in the world of fashion. My goal is to make sure that my collections always reflect the way of life and dress of our current generation”.