Olivier Rousteing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Olivier Rousteing
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Rousteing in 2016
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| Born | 13 September 1985 Bordeaux, France
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| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
Olivier Rousteing (born 13 September 1985) is a famous French fashion designer. He is well-known for being the creative director of the fashion house Balmain since 2011. He started this important role when he was only 25 years old.
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Early Life and Education
Olivier Rousteing was born in Bordeaux, France. He was adopted by his parents when he was one year old. His mother worked as an optician, helping people with their eyesight. His father managed a seaport. Olivier grew up in Bordeaux. Later, he moved to Paris to study fashion at a school called ESMOD. However, he left the school during his first year. He felt he didn't have enough creative freedom there.
Olivier Rousteing's Fashion Career
Starting in Fashion Design
Olivier Rousteing began his career in fashion in 2003. He started working at Roberto Cavalli, an Italian fashion brand. He quickly showed his talent and was promoted. He became the creative director for the women's ready-to-wear collection. He held this important position for five years.
Leading Balmain Fashion House
In 2009, Rousteing joined Balmain, another famous French fashion house. He worked closely with Christophe Decarnin, who was the creative director at the time.
On 26 April 2011, Olivier Rousteing took over as Balmain's new creative director. He was only 25 years old. Even though he was not very well-known then, he brought a fresh and exciting new style to Balmain. He wanted to focus on the elegant and detailed parts of French fashion. He also added influences from Asian styles to the clothes. This was important because many of Balmain's customers are from Asia.
Since Rousteing became the leader, Balmain has grown a lot. Clothes for men now make up 40 percent of Balmain's sales. Between 2012 and 2015, Balmain's sales increased by 15 to 20 percent. Rousteing opened Balmain's first store outside of Paris in London. A store in New York City opened in April 2016. More stores are being planned around the world.
Olivier Rousteing also used social media to make Balmain even more popular. With help from celebrity friends like Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Justin Bieber, Balmain became the first French fashion brand to have over one million followers on Instagram.
In 2022, Rousteing partnered with the Creative Artists Agency. This partnership helps him find new ways to connect fashion with entertainment and popular culture. These new projects support his main job at Balmain.
Other Creative Projects
Olivier Rousteing has also designed costumes for other art forms. In 2017, he created the costumes for an opera called Renaissance. This was a 27-minute ballet with 22 dancers. It premiered at the Opéra de Paris on 13 June 2017.
Personal Life and Heritage
Olivier Rousteing was adopted as a baby. For a long time, he believed he was of mixed race because of his skin color. However, in 2019, he learned more about his background. He discovered that both his birth parents were African. His birth mother was from Somalia, and his birth father was from Ethiopia.
A 2019 documentary film called Wonder Boy tells Olivier's story. The film explores his career in fashion. It also shows his journey to find his biological mother. She was 13 years old when he was born.
See also
In Spanish: Olivier Rousteing para niños
