Olivier Rousteing Exits Balmain After A Historic Run

After a year of, what felt like, non-stop designer musical chairs from major fashion houses like Chanel, Loewe, Dior, Bottega Veneta — more changes are now underway. On November 5, Balmain announced that their beloved creative director Olivier Rousteing will be stepping down after a transformative 14-years at the helm of the French luxury label. Following the breaking news, Rousteing took to Instagram to offer up a few words about the decision: “Like every story, this one also has an ending,” he said.

In 2011, the then 24-year-old made history in more ways than one. Rousteing broke barriers as the first Black creative director both in Balmain’s history and at a major European house in the new millennium. He was also notably the youngest creative director since Yves Saint Laurent — a bet that ended up paying off in a big way. Rousteing’s age was, arguably, one of the things that defined the successful era at Balmain. He offered up a fresh perspective, modernizing it for younger audiences, and ushering the brand into a new digital age.

One of his most memorable moments early on was when he coined the phrase “The Balmain Army” — a non-literal term to define the military-inspired direction of the brand and the people it was meant to appeal to. It-girls like Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, and Cara Delevignge were all part of the figurative “Balmain Army.” In a 10-year anniversary statement Rousteing described it as “a way to best describe our distinct, diverse, rebellious and empowered force of followers.”

Over the years, the creative director was responsible for countless high-profile celebrity red carpet moments, including with Beyoncé, Cher, Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Elle Fanning, Demi Moore, and beyond. Everything from movie premieres to the MET Gala — Rousteing’s tenure at Balmain will forever go down in history as one of the most groundbreaking of our time.

The creative director did not announce where he will be going next but gave a subtle nod to the future in his Instagram caption. “I arrived at 24 with my eyes wide open and the determination to persevere, always. Today, I leave the House of Balmain with my eyes still wide open — open to the future and to the beautiful adventures ahead, adventures in which all of you will have a place.” We will be anxiously awaiting to see where Rousteing takes his talents next — but we know he’ll do something great.