Olivier Rousteing

Rousteing born in Bordeaux and was adopted by his parents at the age of one.{{cite web|url=http://www.out.com/fashion/2015/4/02/olivier-rousteing-selfie-made-man|title=Olivier Rousteing: A Self(ie)-Made Man|last1=Van Meter|first1=William|date=2 April 2015|website=Out|publisher=LPI Media|access-date=11 July 2015}} His mother is an optician, while his father is a seaport manager. He grew up in Bordeaux and moved to Paris to study at ESMOD (Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode). Like Jacquemus, he dropped out in his first year citing lack of creative freedom.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}

In 2003, Rousteing began his career at Roberto Cavalli, where he was promoted to creative director of the Italian label's women's ready-to-wear collection, serving for five years in that position.{{Cite web |url=http://en.vogue.fr/vogue-list/thevoguelist/olivier-rousteing/988 |title=Olivier Rousteing |access-date=17 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626192639/https://en.vogue.fr/vogue-list/thevoguelist/olivier-rousteing/988 |archive-date=26 June 2018 |publisher=Vogue France |url-status=dead }}

Rousteing joined Balmain in 2009.{{Cite news |url=https://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/olivier-rousteing-named-new-designer-at-balmain/|title=Olivier Rousteing Named New Designer at Balmain|first=Rebecca |last=Voight |newspaper=The New York Times |date=26 April 2011}} During his early time at Balmain he worked closely with Christophe Decarnin, the then French fashion house's creative director.

On 26 April 2011, at 25 years old, Rousteing replaced Decarnin as the creative director of Balmain.{{cite news |title=Olivier Rousteing |url=http://m.en.vogue.fr/thevoguelist/olivier-rousteing-1/344 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311221855/http://m.en.vogue.fr/thevoguelist/olivier-rousteing-1/344 |archive-date=11 March 2013 |newspaper=Vogue France |date=29 June 2012 }} While he liked Decarnin's aesthetic, he wanted to orient the label towards the finer aspects of French couture. At the time of his appointment, Rousteing was a relatively unknown designer, and brought a much-needed fresh take on the brand's aesthetic that remains to this day. He has been credited with adding an Asian influence to the clothing, as Asia comprises a huge part of the brand's buyers.admin. "Exclusive Interview with Balmain's Olivier Rousteing." The D'Vine. Accessed 26 January 2014. http://www.the-dvine.com/2012/11/exclusive-interview-with-balmains-olivier-rousteing/. Rousteing says his age, initial anonymity, and especially race led to grumblings amongst the fashion establishment. "People were like, 'Oh my God, he's a minority taking over a French house!'" Rousteing told Out magazine in 2015.

Since his arrival, menswear now accounts for 40 percent of Balmain's revenue. While the company did not release figures, it was estimated that Balmain's revenue increased 15 to 20 percent between 2012 and 2015. Rousteing opened a Balmain store in London, Balmain's first stand-alone boutique outside of Paris.{{cite news |last1=Schneier|first1=Matthew|title=Olivier Rousteing Puts Balmain Men's Wear on the Runway|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/30/fashion/paris-mens-fashion-spring-2015-balmain-olivier-rousteing.html?ribbon-ad-idx=5&rref=style&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Style&pgtype=article |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=11 July 2015|date=29 June 2015}} A New York City store opened in SoHo in April 2016.{{Cite news|url=https://www.papermag.com/balmain-opens-flagship-store-1710103151.html|title=Balmain Has Officially Opened Its NYC Flagship Store|date=5 April 2016|website=PAPER}} Other stores are in the planning stage.

With the help of celebrity friends like Kim Kardashian, Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Björk, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, EMFAM and various models, including those from Victoria's Secret, Rousteing helped Balmain become the first French label to surpass one million followers on Instagram.{{cite web |last1=Vingan |first1=Alyssa |title=Balmain's Olivier Rousteing Opens Up About Industry Racism and Instagram in 'Out' |url=http://fashionista.com/2015/04/olivier-rousteing-out-magazine |website=Fashionista |publisher=Breaking Media, Inc. |access-date=11 July 2015|date=3 April 2015}}

In 2022, Rousteing signed with the Creative Artists Agency "to explore new business-building opportunities in entertainment and popular culture that are complementary to his role as Balmain creative director."Ryma Chikhoune (27 April 2022), [https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/olivier-rousteing-signs-caa-1235166884/ EXCLUSIVE: Olivier Rousteing Signs With CAA] Women's Wear Daily.

Rousteing designed the costumes for the opera, Renaissance – a 27-minute ballet with 22 dancers,{{Cite web|url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/balmain-olivier-rousteing-designs-costumes-for-paris-opera-ballet|title=Balmain's Ballet: First Look At Olivier Rousteing's Designs For The Paris Opéra|last=Crisell|first=Hattie |date=7 June 2017 |publisher=Vogue UK |access-date=27 November 2017}} which was choreographed by Sébastien Bertaud and opened at Opéra de Paris on 13 June 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/season-16-17/ballet/bertaud-bouche-paul-valastro|title=Bertaud / Bouché / Paul / Valastro - Ballet - Season 16/17 Programming|publisher=Opéra national de Paris|language=en|access-date=27 November 2017}}

Rousteing was adopted and is gay.{{Cite news|url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/olivier-rousteing-balmain-interview-vogue-september-issue|title=Olivier Rousteing's Childhood Memories|last=Weir|first=Laura |publisher=Vogue UK |access-date=27 November 2017}} Though he had previously believed he was mixed race because of his skin colour, in 2019, he discovered that he is fully African, with a Somali birth mother and an Ethiopian birth father.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/style/olivier-rousteing-adoption-film-balmain.html|title=The Truth About Olivier Rousteing|last=Friedman|first=Vanessa |newspaper=The New York Times |date=25 September 2019 |access-date=25 September 2019}} The 2019 documentary Wonder Boy, written and directed by Anissa Bonnefont, examines his professional career and his search for his biological mother, who was aged 13 when she had him.

{{Reflist}}

• {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.canalplus.fr/c-divertissement/c-le-petit-journal/pid6515-le-petit-journal.html?vid=1218640 Avec Olivier Rousteing], Le Petit Journal, Canal Plus
• [http://www.codigounico.com/business-class/despacho-olivier-rousteing.html En el despacho], [http://www.codigounico.com Código Único]

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Category:French fashion designers

Category:French people of Somali descent

Category:French people of Ethiopian descent

Category:1985 births

Category:Living people

Category:Menswear designers

Category:LGBTQ fashion designers