Olivier Roustan is Balmain's Creative Director. The designer who turned a respectable Parisian couture house into popular culture is receiving mixed reviews. What is the contribution of Olivier Roustan to haute couture and how did he manage to revolutionize the world of Haute Couture?
Childhood
The designer was born in 1985. Olivier is an orphan. At the age of a few months, the boy was adopted by a childless couple from France. The circumstances of the birth are still a mystery to Olivier Roustan himself.
The designer spent his childhood and youth in Bordeaux. Parents loved and spoiled their adopted son, sparing no money for his entertainment and education.
During his school years, Olivier showed an aptitude for exact sciences and languages. His father hoped that a career as a great scientist or lawyer awaited him, but Rustan Jr.'s love for fashion turned out to be stronger.
The boy became interested in beautiful clothes early. From adolescence, Olivier Roustan attended opera performances with his family, and the costumes of the characters attracted the boy more than the plot of the productions.
Suzelle, Olivier's grandmotherby mother, was the first muse of Rustan. She followed fashion and had a soft spot for Chanel style. Suzel influenced Olivier's creative development and remains his friend to this day.
Career start
Rustan studied at the Paris High School of Art and Fashion Technology (ESMOD). The young man was not tired of the formal attitude of teachers to the interests of students. At the age of 18, Olivier left school and went to Italy, where he worked as a dancer in local clubs.
In 2003 he joined the Roberto Cavalli team. Olivier was hired as an assistant, then rose to the head designer of the women's line. Rustan's collections for Cavalli showed off the glam rock style that would later become his trademark.
Designer stayed at Roberto Cavalli for 5 years before moving to Balmain in 2009. Olivier worked for 2 years at Balmain under creative director Christophe Decarnin. Since 2011, Rustan has been the chief designer of the French brand.
Art Director Balmain
Balmain is a Parisian fashion house that has existed since 1945. The brand became famous for evening dresses with rich handmade decorations. Balmain was considered a brand for respectable ladies and for several decades has lost its leading position in the forefront of fashion.
Olivier Roustan, as creative director of Balmain, continued Decarnin's course of winning young clientele. Olivier's work combines the tradition of Parisian haute couture with American pop culture and street style. Ornamental embroidery with gold and crystalsturned into a decorative element of rock and roll mini-dresses, tight trousers and jackets with wide shoulders.
In 2015, Olivier launched the first ever Balmain menswear collection. Today, products for the stronger sex account for 40% of the brand's sales.
Since 2015, Rustan has been collaborating with mass market brands. The first collaboration was a collection for H&M. An advertising campaign with Kendall Jenner increased the excitement around the unprecedented action of the "couture" House. On launch day, the public took H&M stores around the world by storm. Rustan's items sold out within hours.
In 2016, the Balmain capsule line appeared for the sports label Nike. The collection in black and gold, dedicated to the European Football Championship, reflected the recognizable style of "Balmain" in the interpretation of Rustan.
In 2017, Olivier created a lingerie line for Victoria's Secret. Products shown by models from among Rustan's friends could be bought immediately after the show.
Olivier's current partner project is a line of lipsticks for L'Oreal. The collection consists of 12 classic and avant-garde shades and is designed for different types of women. The lipstick is packaged in designer bottles inspired by Balmain.
Olivier Roustan's collaborations bring Balmain to the mass market. The collections attract the audience with a loud brand name, recognizable design and relatively low prices. Capsule series are introduced to the number of Balmain customers of thosebuyers who cannot afford the cost of items from the main line.
Rustan and celebrities
Olivier maintains friendly relations with world-class stars. Rustan creates costumes for Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jane Fonda's performances and social events. To demonstrate the collections, the designer invites leading top models.
Olivier appreciates the attention of celebrities and calls his entourage "Balmain's Army". On Instagram, Rustan regularly posts joint pictures with stars dressed in his designs.
Balmain management sees great commercial opportunities in the creative director's connections. Posts with the hashtag balmainarmy incite users to buy Balmain clothes. Brand items are a pass to the closed community of beautiful and successful friends of Rustan.
Private life
Olivier Roustan speaks openly about belonging to the LGBT community. The realization of his own homosexuality came to him in adolescence. The first serious romance happened to 18-year-old Olivier while working in Rome.
After turning into a media personality, the designer's personal life has become the object of gossip. Photos from Olivier Roustan's Instagram, which he often notes with a heart, gave rise to rumors about the couturier's connections with Kanye West and Chris Brown. The gossip has not been confirmed.
Today, Olivier Roustan's personal life deserves the status of "everything is complicated." The designer admits that it is not easy for him to separate the flattery of society friends fromsincere feelings.
Olivier is sincere in communicating with the Internet audience, but does not dedicate it to his problems and experiences. The designer believes that the image created on Instagram should give people a dream.
Rustan in 2018
Olivier remains as Creative Director of Balmain. Brand owners see serious commercial potential in the designer's work. Management hopes to fuel public interest with new collaborations with media giants like Google and Netflix.
In 2018, Olivier collaborates with Beyoncé. He designed the costumes for her performance at the Coachella festival. BeyonceXBalmain's limited-edition line based on stage wardrobe.
The biography of Olivier Roustan served as the basis for a documentary. In the summer of 2018, the filming of the film “Wonder Boy” was completed, in which the designer talks about his childhood and fashion career. The film is scheduled to premiere in 2019
Olivier Roustan revives public interest in the traditional values of Haute Couture. The designer turns them into an element of current style and a commercially successful product. Thanks to Rustan, the Balmain brand maintains its status as a haute couture house and wins fans among the youth audience.
