Olivier Rousteing, the creative force who redefined Balmain for a new era, has officially stepped down from his role as creative director, closing a transformative 14-year chapter at the iconic Parisian fashion house. The announcement, made on November 5, 2025, marks the end of one of the longest—and most culturally impactful—tenures in contemporary fashion, and leaves the industry abuzz with speculation about both Rousteing’s next move and the future direction of Balmain.
Rousteing’s journey with Balmain began back in 2009, when the Bordeaux-born designer joined the house under then-creative director Christophe Decarnin. Just two years later, at the age of 24, Rousteing broke barriers by becoming the youngest and first Black creative director to helm a major French luxury label—a milestone that sent ripples through an industry still grappling with questions of representation and diversity. As reported by WWD, his appointment was historic not only for his age but for the cultural doors it opened: "He was the first Black womenswear designer at the helm of a French fashion house."
From the outset, Rousteing’s vision for Balmain was unapologetically bold. He fused the rigor of Parisian tailoring with the spectacle of pop culture, transforming the once-sleepy maison into a headline-generating powerhouse. Sequins, power shoulders, and a relentless embrace of social media became his trademarks. His Instagram following—now at 9.7 million—became a platform for democratizing fashion, and his shows, often opened to the public, blurred the line between runway and stadium concert.
At the heart of Rousteing’s Balmain was the so-called "Balmain Army," a loyal circle of models and superstars including Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Cher. According to Grazia, these celebrity relationships propelled Balmain "firmly into the pop-culture stratosphere." The designer’s collaborations reached beyond the usual fashion suspects, too: he spearheaded partnerships with Barbie, Disney, Evian, Netflix, and Johnnie Walker, and his 2015 high-street collaboration with H&M sold out within hours, becoming one of the most coveted crossovers in retail history.
But Rousteing’s legacy is not just about glitz and glamour. He has been candid about his personal journey—adopted as an infant, he later discovered his Somali and Ethiopian heritage, a revelation that deepened his commitment to diversity and inclusion. In 2019, he shared his story in the poignant documentary "Wonder Boy," which chronicled his search for his biological parents against the backdrop of France’s anonymous birth system. As WWD noted, this vulnerability made him "open about his personal history" and further humanized a figure often seen as fashion’s ultimate showman.
His personal resilience was tested in 2020, when a fireplace explosion in his Paris home left him with severe burns across much of his body. Rousteing kept the accident private for nearly a year, designing collections in secrecy while recovering. In 2021, he revealed his ordeal on Instagram with a raw image of his bandaged torso, writing, "Today marks the end of my Balmain era. Sixteen years ago, I began this Balmain adventure without knowing what the future would hold. What an extraordinary story it has been—a love story, a life story." This act of candor was both defiant and vulnerable, reinforcing his belief in honesty and transparency. His Spring 2022 collections, marking his 10th anniversary at the helm, were suffused with themes of healing and rebirth, with corseted silhouettes and bandage motifs serving as symbols of survival and strength.
Under Rousteing’s leadership, Balmain’s fortunes soared. The brand’s revenue reportedly grew tenfold, and its perception, according to CEO Matteo Sgarbossa, "eclipses Balmain’s size," with market sources estimating annual revenue at around 300 million euros as of September 2025. The house now boasts 50 stores worldwide, with a particularly strong presence in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The brand’s expansion into beauty and fragrance, through partnerships with Estée Lauder, and the reintroduction of couture, further cemented Balmain’s status as a global lifestyle powerhouse.
Rousteing’s influence also extended to the very structure of fashion’s engagement with the public. He was a pioneer in leveraging technology, embracing NFTs, and staging democratic, public-facing spectacles such as 2020’s Balmain Sur Seine event, which sent a barge down the Paris river with dancers and singer Yseult—a move that anticipated the public pageantry of the 2024 Paris Olympics. As WWD observed, Rousteing "sparked a trend to democratic, public-facing fashion spectacles."
The designer’s departure was met with heartfelt tributes from Balmain’s leadership. Rachid Mohamed Rachid, CEO of owner Mayhoola and chairman of Balmain, praised Rousteing’s "visionary leadership" for redefining the boundaries of fashion and inspiring a generation with "bold creativity, unwavering authenticity and commitment to inclusivity." Sgarbossa added, "Olivier’s contribution and passion over the past years will leave an indelible mark in the history of fashion."
In his parting message on Instagram, Rousteing expressed deep gratitude: "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." He thanked his colleagues and supporters, writing, "What an extraordinary story it has been—a love story, a life story. None of it would ever have been possible without my chosen family, my team, the group, and all the people who believed in me from the very beginning." He concluded, "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. A new era, a new beginning, a new story. THANK YOU."
Balmain confirmed that a new creative direction will be announced "in due course," but for now, the fashion world is left to reflect on Rousteing’s extraordinary impact. From breaking barriers of race and age to redefining luxury for the social media generation, his tenure at Balmain will be remembered as a defining era—one that fused couture craft with pop-era bravado, and, perhaps most importantly, made space for new voices and new visions in the heart of Parisian fashion.
As the curtain falls on this chapter, the industry waits with bated breath to see what Rousteing—still only 40—will do next. Whatever his next adventure holds, the story of Olivier Rousteing and Balmain will remain a powerful testament to the transformative power of creativity, resilience, and daring to break the mold.
