01IN 2011, A 25-YEAR-OLD NAMED OLIVIER ROUSTEING WAS HANDED ONE OF
PARIS'S OLD FASHION HOUSES, BALMAIN. HE WAS AMONG THE YOUNGEST
DESIGNERS EVER TO LEAD A FRENCH MAISON, AND THE FIRST BLACK DESIGNER
TO HELM ITS WOMENSWEAR. HE RAN IT FOR 14 YEARS.
02HE WAS AN OUTSIDER TWICE OVER. ADOPTED, RAISED IN BORDEAUX,
ROUSTEING BROKE INTO A CLOSED, MOSTLY WHITE INDUSTRY AND REACHED THE
TOP BEFORE HE WAS 30. THE APPOINTMENT STUNNED PARIS; HE MADE IT LOOK
INEVITABLE WITHIN A FEW SEASONS.
03HIS BALMAIN WAS PURE SPECTACLE. HEAVILY EMBROIDERED, STRUCTURED,
SEXED-UP GLAMOUR, WITH HOURS OF BEADWORK PER LOOK, PRICED FOR POP
STARS. HE TURNED A SLEEPY HOUSE INTO A RED-CARPET AND STAGE-COSTUME
MACHINE THE WHOLE WORLD RECOGNISED.
04AND HE SAW SOCIAL MEDIA COMING. ROUSTEING BUILT THE 'BALMAIN ARMY'
ON INSTAGRAM, DRESSED THE KARDASHIANS AND BEYONCE, AND DID AN H AND
M COLLABORATION THAT CAUSED STAMPEDES. HE TREATED FAME ITSELF AS A
KIND OF FABRIC.
05IT WAS NOT ALWAYS THE CRITICS' DARLING, BUT IT WAS UNMISTAKABLY HIS.
FOR OVER A DECADE, THE WORD BALMAIN MEANT ROUSTEING: LOUD, GENEROUS,
A LITTLE OUTRAGEOUS, AND DEEPLY, PROUDLY POP. A HOUSE REBUILT IN ONE
MAN'S IMAGE.
06NOW HE HAS STEPPED DOWN AFTER 14 YEARS, AND AN ERA CLOSES. WHATEVER
COMES NEXT, ROUSTEING PROVED A YOUNG OUTSIDER COULD RUN A FRENCH
HOUSE ON HIS OWN TERMS, AND QUIETLY CHANGED WHO GETS TO SIT IN THAT
CHAIR AT ALL.