Fashion Articles by Trishia Christia

PROJECT II Fashion Articles - Inspiring Designer

DESIGN I

THE REVIVAL OF YOUNG GENERATIONS In 2011, at the age of 25, Olivier Rousteing became the creative director at one of the world’s pretigious and high-end French brand, Balmain. He became one of the youngest creative directors for an established French fashion house. You can’t miss the most inspirative and great story of this young designer. BY KARIN NELSON

livier Rousteing is black, 28, and not above posting shirtless selfies on Instagram. As the creative director of Balmain, all this makes him something of a rarity: Racial diversity, youth, and flagrant -modernity are not characteristics commonly associated with venerable French fashion houses, much less with the designers at their helm. Yet Rousteing—who after three successful years on the job has made it clear that he is not a fashion footnote—is determined to change that. “My job is not just to design clothes but to also give a new vision to fashion,” he declares. That was not always his agenda. Rousteing was raised in Bordeaux, France, by adoptive white parents. “My father was a port manager, my mother an optician; but they were very modern,” he says. “They taught me to be open-minded and express myself.” He initially planned on becoming a lawyer, but, bored and restless after only two months studying law, he made his way to Rome to intern for Gianni Serra, a small couture house. “I had always loved fashion,” he explains, noting that his affection for black leather biker pants, which he sports everywhere—even with tails to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala—began in high school. “Sometimes you forget that your passion can also be your work.” At 18, Rousteing went to work for Roberto Cavalli, where he rose through the ranks from intern to right-hand man of Peter Dundas, who was Cavalli’s head designer when Rousteing arrived. 25 FASHION INSIDERS PEOPLE

He credits Dundas with teaching him about glamour—“Peter had designed costumes for the opera, so he has this culture of extravagance,” he says—as well as instilling in him a sense of humility. “We’re just making beautiful clothes,” says Rousteing, whose boyish charm makes him immediately likable. “There’s no need to be a torturer.” As happy as he was at Cavalli, Rousteing was drawn to Paris—and, in particular, to Balmain, where Christophe Decarnin’s crystal-encrusted designs were causing a worldwide frenzy, aptly referred to as Balmainia. “I loved what he was doing,” Rousteing says. “It was more my taste than Cavalli.” He sent his CV, was hired instantly, and spent more than two and a half years working beside Decarnin, until 2011, when Decarnin exited the house after rumors he’d had a nervous breakdown. “That was a stressful time,” Rousteing recalls. “Christophe left. Emmanuelle Alt [the editor in chief of Vogue Paris, who was then the house’s stylist] left, too. I was 25 and managing the whole studio.” The thought of taking over hadn’t even crossed his mind when in April of that year he received a call, while on vacation in Barcelona, from Balmain chairman Alain Hi-velin, who offered him the position. Picking up where Decarnin left off was not easy for Rousteing. “It was a weird situation,” he says delicately. “I really love Christophe, and he is an amazing person who taught me a lot. So when they told me what happened I reflected, but not whether

PEOPLE FASHION INSIDERS

Photographed by Franco Tettamanti; Olivier Rousteing wears his â&#x20AC;¨own clothing

All models wear Balmain clothing, jewelry, and shoes. All from Balmain Fall Winter 2014/2015 Collection

or not I should take the job, more like what it meant to me. You can love fashion, but when you work at a company it becomes something different.” He took two days to accept. “What made me happy is that I was working with my team. In the end it was a really good decision.” Then he became one of the youngest talents to preside over an established Parisian fashion house since Yves Saint Laurentfound himself, at age 21, the creative director at Christian Dior. As a certified millennial, Rousteing is also resolutely forward-thinking. That, coupled with the confidence that comes from the support of megastars like Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, who are frequently photographed in his clothes, has allowed him to chart a course for the house that is more inclusive of different cultures and ethnicities. For spring 2014 he cast Rihanna, whom he describes as “strong, sexy, at times androgynous—the newMadonna,” as the face of the brand. For fall, he presented a polished hip-hop/safari mash-up that opened with the black model Jourdan Dunn. But it is perhaps the photographs, featuring Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, and Iman, that best express his vision for Balmain. “These women are inspiring to so many different people,” he says. “Bringing them together represents the concept I’m working toward.”

“MY JOB IS NOT

JUST TO DESIGN

CLOTHES BUT TO

“Sometimes you forget that your passion can also be your work.”

ALSO GIVE A NEW

For all the demi-couture and wildly addictive glamour, he keeps it real. “When I got this job I decided I wanted to share with people who I really am. It’s important to share real things. I want to show people that at Balmain there’s a young designer that can cry, that can smile, that can party and have a life but still make millions and the business is continuing.” His friends, he says, are a major part of what keeps him sane. “They remind me who I am. I’ve seen so many designers fail because they were unhappy with their job and lost in their career. I don’t want to become like that.” Rousteing himself seems to be very much living the fantastic dream. Does it ever feel unreal to be so young and in this job? “It’s the kind of question I never ask myself,” he says, sitting in the afternoon sun. “If I start to question it too much I start to get really, really scared. Not because I’m worried about my abilities, but I’m scared to think, ‘What’s next?’ Everything happened so young so what will be next? I’ll get everything I wanted at 25? I don’t want to be too satisfied at 27, because what can I hope for at 30? That’s the only thing that scares me a bit.” But one look at the spectacular scope of his nonchalantly cool universe at Balmain will tell you that Olivier Rousteing is only just getting started.

VISION TO

FASHION.”

PEOPLE FASHION INSIDERS

DESIGN II

livier Rousteing

In 2011, at the age of 25, Olivier Rousteing became the creative director at one of the world’s pretigious and high-end French brand, Balmain. He became one of the youngest creative directors for an established French fashion house. You can’t miss the most inspirative and great story of this young designer.

livier Rousteing is black, 28, and not above posting shirtless selfies on Instagram. As the creative director of Balmain, all this makes him something of a rarity: Racial diversity, youth, and flagrant -modernity are not characteristics commonly associated with venerable French fashion houses, much less with the designers at their helm. Yet Rousteing—who after three successful years on the job has made it clear that he is not a fashion ARTICLE BY KARIN NELSON footnote—is determined to change that. “My job is not just to design clothes but to also give a new vision to fashion,” he declares. That was not always his agenda. Rousteing was raised in Bordeaux, France, by adoptive white parents. “My father was a port manager, my mother an optician; but they were very modern,” he says. “They taught me to be open-minded and express myself.” He initially planned on becoming a lawyer, but, bored and restless after only two months studying law, he made his way to Rome to intern for Gianni Serra, a small couture house. “I had always loved fashion,” he explains, noting that his affection for black leather biker pants, which he sports everywhere—even with tails to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala—began in high school. “Sometimes you forget that your passion can also be your work.” At 18, Rousteing went to work for Roberto Cavalli, where he rose through the ranks from intern to right-hand man of Peter Dundas, who was Cavalli’s head designer when Rousteing arrived.

25 FASHION INSIDERS PEOPLE

Photographed by Franco Tettamanti

Picking up where Decarnin left off was not easy for Rousteing. “It was a weird situation,” he says delicately. “I really love Christophe, and he is an amazing person who taught me a lot. So when they told me what happened I reflected, but not whether or not I should take the job, more like what it meant to me. He took two days to accept. “What made me happy is that I was working with my team. In the end it was a really good decision.” Then he became one of the youngest talents to preside over an established Parisian fashion house since Yves Saint Laurentfound himself, at age 21, the creative director at Christian Dior. As a certified millennial, Rousteing is also resolutely forward-thinking. That, coupled with the confidence that comes from the support of megastars like Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, who are frequently photographed in his clothes, has allowed him to chart a course for the house that is more inclusive of different cultures and ethnicities. For spring 2014 he cast Rihanna, whom he describes as “strong, sexy, at times androgynous— the newMadonna,” as the face of the brand. For fall, he presented a polished hip-hop/safari mash-up that opened with the black model Jourdan Dunn.

“Sometimes you forget

that your passion can also be your work.”

27 FASHION INSIDERS PEOPLE

Hair Chuck Amos, Yusef Williams, Peter Savic; Makeup Sir John, Mylah Morales, Renee Garnes; Photography assistants Ed Singleton, Hannah Scott-Stevenson, Nicholas Ong; Fashion assistants Ryann Foulke, Dena Giannini

But it is perhaps the photographs, featuring Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, and Iman, that best express his vision for Balmain. “These women are inspiring to so many different people,” he says. “Bringing them together represents the concept I’m working toward.” For all the demi-couture and wildly addictive glamour, he keeps it real. “When I got this job I decided I wanted to share with people who I really am. It’s important to share real things. I want to show people that at Balmain there’s a young designer that can cry, that can smile, that can party and have a life but still make millions and the business is continuing.” His friends, he says, are a major part of what keeps him sane. “They remind me who I am. I’ve seen so many designers fail because they were unhappy with their job and lost in their career. I don’t want to become like that.” Rousteing himself seems to be very much living the fantastic dream. Does it ever feel unreal to be so young and in this job? “It’s the kind of question I never ask myself,” he says, sitting in the afternoon sun. “If I start to question it too much I start to get really, really scared. Not because I’m worried about my abilities, but I’m scared to think, ‘What’s next?’ Everything happened so young so what will be next? I’ll get everything I wanted at 25? I don’t want to be too satisfied at 27, because what can I hope for at 30? That’s the only thing that scares me a bit.” But one look at the spectacular scope of his nonchalantly cool universe at Balmain will tell you that Olivier Rousteing is only just getting started.

Opposite page: Photographed by Emma Summerton From left to right: Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, and Iman wear Balmain clothing, jewelry, and shoes. Designer Olivier Rousteing wears his  own clothing. All by Balmain.

Sweater, $1,300, belt, $2,390, skirt, $700, earrings, $800, choker, $3,330, and boots, $3,000. Sweater, $6,700, belt, $2,900, skirt, $3,750, earrings, $800, choker, $3,330, bracelet, $2,910, and boots, $3,000. Sweater, $6,700, belt, price upon request, skirt, $1,200, earrings, $800, bracelets, $2,910 each, and boots, $3,000

PEOPLE FASHION INSIDERS 28

Edited By Trishia CK