After his departure from “Balmain”… Olivier Rousteing’s most prominent moments with the ancient house

Designer Olivier Rousteing left the French fashion house, Balmain, after a long career that lasted 14 years, during which he achieved impressive successes and recorded the longest period of work for a designer in a fashion house in the twenty-first century. In light of this, we will monitor Olivier Rousteing’s journey with the ancient house, and the most prominent moments that he recorded and engraved his name with threads of gold.

Olivier Rousteing’s trip with Balmain:

Olivier Rousteing’s period of work at Balmain is considered one of the most prominent creative periods in the world of fashion in the 21st century, as Rousteing was appointed creative director in 2011, when he was only twenty-five years old. Rousteing not only inherited an ancient French fashion house, but also reshaped it and infused it with vitality and activity for a new generation.

His tenure at Balmain represented a shift from exclusivity to global cultural presence, where luxury blended with diversity, the influence of celebrities and the digital community in unprecedented ways. Through bold artistic touches, a deep understanding of contemporary identity, and a conscious embrace of inclusivity, Rousteing transformed Balmain from a traditional Parisian workshop into a leading global fashion house.

When Rousteing took the helm, Balmain was widely admired for its structured designs and architectural tailoring rooted in the vision of its founder, Pierre Balmain. The brand’s presence in the broader cultural landscape had waned, and Rousteing realized that to restore the house’s global standing, he had to honor its heritage while redefining what modern luxury looked and felt like.

His collections began to focus on sharp shoulders, sculpted waists, ornate designs, and rich embroidery, elements that reflect strength, excitement, and royal self-confidence. However, beyond aesthetics, Rousteing infused his work with a contemporary dynamism that brought Balmain in line with the rhythms of music, nightlife and digital culture.

One of Rousteing’s most revolutionary contributions is his mastery of social media as a tool for storytelling and brand building. At a time when most luxury fashion houses were distant and conservative, Rousteing embraced openness and visibility, and using Instagram as a platform to showcase his business, operations, and personal identity, he built a community that felt seen and supported within the brand. This movement coalesced into what became known as the “Balmain Army,” a global network of models, musicians, actors and cultural figures who embodied the brand’s spirit of strength and glamour. Through collaboration and personal relationships, Rousteing has placed Balmain at the heart of popular culture, dressing icons such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez for concerts, red carpets, tours and award shows. In doing so, he dissolved the traditional boundaries between fashion, music and fame, placing Balmain at the heart of cultural influence.

One of Rousteing’s most important influences at Balmain was that during 2012, his first full year in office, the prestigious French house achieved revenues of 30.4 million euros and profits of 3.1 million euros, while its revenues last year were estimated at about 300 million euros.

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The most important moments of Olivier Rousteing in “Balmain”:

1. The moment of appointment:

Olivier’s first memorable moment was his appointment as creative director in 2011, when he was only 25 years old. As a young, dark-skinned fashion designer who grew up outside the circles of the Parisian elite, his arrival challenged entrenched assumptions within the French fashion establishment, making him both a historical and symbolic event.

2. Fall/Winter 2013 collection:

This collection embodies Rousteing’s true imprint on Balmain, and it changed the world of fashion, as he introduced new details in the world of fashion, such as: wide shoulders, short skirts studded with rhinestones, and long suede shoes, and they became essential pieces for an entire generation after that.

3. Balmain Army:

There is no doubt that Balmain’s popularity and success is due in part to its celebrity friends, including: Rihanna, the Kardashian family, Kayne West, and Beyoncé. Instagram has been flooded with photos of Olivier Rousteing and his army of celebrity supporters, showing off on the red carpet and lavish parties.

4. “H&M x Balmain”:

In 2015, social media platforms erupted with the advertising campaign, in which Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner participated, under the title of the “H&M x Balmain” collection, and it featured leather jackets and short dresses. Fans then lined up for days in front of H&M stores around the world hoping to get the limited collection, but it sold out within hours, and to this day it remains one of H&M’s most successful collaboration projects.

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5. Spring and summer 2019:

Olivier Rousteing himself participated in the Balmain Spring/Summer 2019 campaign, alongside a group of 1990s models, including: Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell. The black and white photo was dazzling, showing the superiority between the two generations of high fashion.

6. The legend Cher:

In the year 2022, there was a special moment, especially in the world of fashion, when the international star Cher, at the age of 74, stepped on the platform of the “Balmain” spring and summer 2023 collection, and caught the eye in a black leather suit and high, thick-heeled shoes.

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A touching farewell message:

Olivier Rousteing bid farewell to Balmain with touching words, via his Instagram account, describing his relationship as an exceptional journey. He said: “Today marks the end of the Balmain era, sixteen years ago… I began this adventure with Balmain without knowing what the future holds for me. What an exceptional story… a love story… a life story.”

Rousteing continued: “None of it would have been possible without the family I chose, my team, the group, and everyone who trusted me from the beginning. And like every story, this story also has an end,” he thanked everyone for the love and support and for living with him season after season, saying: “Thank you to Mayhoola for her support, and for all the memories that will remain etched in my memory forever… Thank you to my team, without which these wonderful adventures would not have existed.”

He stressed that, at the age of 24, he had open eyes and a determination to always persevere, adding: “Today, I leave Balmain with open eyes… open to the future, and to the beautiful adventures that await us… adventures in which all of you will have a place.”

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