Olivier Rousteing - Designer, Creative Director of Balmain

[rowjellies]

I wonder what voodoo he’s done because how is he STILL at Balmain at this point. Especially given the short lifespan of creative directorships exit these days.

He’s somehow outlasted the tenures of Michele, Piccioli, Tisci.

 

[Olaffo]

I think bc he is hardworking humble dude with medium size ego irl + he got lesson from Lagerfed to stick around no matter what happens in the world. He is completely not my cup of tea as designer but he is successful at Balmain and I think he will stay there for next 10-15 years…

 

[Lola701]

I didn’t expect their first fragrance launch in years to be niche.
At this point the niche market is exhausted!

I expected a mainstream, blockbuster launch.
Their clientele will buy it but is it enough?

I wonder what voodoo he’s done because how is he STILL at Balmain at this point. Especially given the short lifespan of creative directorships exit these days.

He’s somehow outlasted the tenures of Michele, Piccioli, Tisci.

He is just a good professional. I’ve only heard good things about him. He has a sense of responsibility but also he knows the brand. When he joined from Cavalli in 2009, Balmain, while the buzziest brand in Paris, was very very very small. They had the original owners in place. So he has made the brand what it is today.
I like that he is slowly evolving in his aesthetic.
No matter what, his Balmain is not linear.

But tbh, I feel like he is the kind of « weird cat » in Paris. It’s hard to imagine him elsewhere. He is very skilled but I don’t think he is versatile.

 

[IndigoHomme]

He was such a pretty boy and now he looks like a mix of Barbara Streisand and a muppet.

For me, looks like a Whoopi Goldberg

 

[tourbillions]

no voodoo here. he can have taste problems but no one can deny that he is talented and has a very strong point of view. Unfortunately for decarnin fans if they exist, balmain is rousteing now and rousteing is balmain. Only other place i can see him if he somehow gets tired is jpg.

 

[LadyJunon]

I think that the factor differentiating Balmain from its contemporaries is that Balmain is privately owned. It was also a very small brand (around €20mn) without much of an identity (too similar to Dior and Balenciaga). Since Rousteing's appointement, the brand has grown to reach €300mn in revenue with 52 flagship stores across Europe, North America and Asia. I definitely see him staying at Balmain for another 15 to 20 years and building the brand into a mini-Chanel. I imagine that Della Valle has similar goals with Schiaparelli.