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After 16 years—14 as creative director—Olivier Rousteing is saying goodbye to Balmain, bringing an extraordinary era of modern French glamour to a close.
The Maison confirmed the designer’s departure on Wednesday, November 5, marking the end of one of the longest creative tenures in contemporary fashion.
“I am deeply proud of all that I’ve accomplished, and profoundly grateful to my exceptional team at Balmain, my chosen family, in a place that has been my home for the past 14 years,” Rousteing said in a statement. His words capture the emotional weight of a partnership that has been both commercially triumphant and culturally defining.
Born in Bordeaux in 1985, Rousteing studied at Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode before cutting his teeth at Roberto Cavalli. He joined Balmain in 2009 under Christophe Decarnin and, in 2011, at just 24, became one of the youngest designers to lead a major Parisian fashion house. He also made history as the first Black designer to helm a French luxury label—a milestone that would ripple through an industry still grappling with representation.
Rousteing’s Balmain was never quiet. His unapologetically bold collections, saturated with embellishment, structure and sparkle, redefined the House’s identity for a new generation. Under his watch, revenue reportedly grew tenfold, and Balmain’s star-studded muses—from Beyoncé and Rihanna to Cher and Kim Kardashian—propelled the brand firmly into the pop-culture stratosphere. The 2015 H&M collaboration, which sold out within hours, remains one of the high street’s most coveted crossovers.
Yet Rousteing’s legacy extends beyond sequins and celebrity. He expanded Balmain into beauty and fragrance with Estée Lauder, reintroduced couture, and used his platform to speak vulnerably about resilience and identity in the face of adversities.
Now 40, Rousteing leaves Balmain transformed from a heritage label to a cultural powerhouse. The question, of course, is what comes next…
