Rousteing Champions Diversity, Inclusivity And Couture

To coincide with the opening of a Paris flagship in January, Balmain will return to the couture schedule in Paris.

From an ophanage in France to the epicenter of the international fashion scene, Olivier Rousteing's career has rocketed to fame since taking on Balmain's creative director role eight years ago. In a Q&A with WWD executive editor Bridget Foley, he spoke of plans to add couture as of January — bringing back the upper echelon category for the house for the first time in more than 16 years. With a

Rue Saint-Honoré flagship set to bow in mid-January, and accessories getting more attention, Rousteing spoke of the importance of being dialed in to the business side of things.

Selling Balmain's top brass about the upsides of social media took some persuading, but Rousteing insisted many of his Millennial followers appreciate craftsmanship. And his message of diversity and inclusivity is one that he wants to live on. Hopeful that the kids of tomorrow will recognize the Balmain name, he also wants future designers of all ethnicities and upbringings to understand that dreams really do come true when you believe in yourself and stay true to yourself. “Sometimes they put you on top and sometimes they really put you down. And you have to deal with it,” Rousteing said.

WWD: Congratulations for the Fashion Group International award that you received last week. You did something very different. You didn't have a presenter. You came to the stage with members of your Balmain Army. Would you explain why you did that and what is the Balmain Army?

Olivier Rousteing: For me, it was important to show the models on the catwalk and the personalities that they are. We build a world of inclusivity and diversity with Balmain. I would never be here today if I didn't have my Balmain Army, my top models, so it was important for me to put them on stage.

WWD: So there is a loyalty that these models have to you. How did that happen? Because models obviously have a lot of places to go and there are many runway shows.

O.R.: When I started Balmain, I was always surprised that we didn't emphasize the woman. There was that feeling of not representing women from different ethnicities, different ages, different shapes. So I started to create the Balmain Army more like soldiers, not models who are like hangers. They actually have something very strong to say. I created that with my platform and my social media to show they were my friends. They were my friends because they were pushing boundaries, pushing diversity so it was important to me to have an army.

WWD: Tell me about diversity. It's been important to you since Day One. How do you realize it?

O.R.: It was really interesting. When I started at Balmain eight years ago, no one was taking about diversity.

WWD: And most runways were not very diverse.

O.R.: No, not at all. When I started, it was always shocking that I could not get girls of different diversities. Because the agencies didn't have much diversity either. Different casting directors didn't help either. So I decided to create my own story getting my own models of different shapes, ages and colors. For me, that was really important. It was not easy. Sometimes fashion is really avant-garde and people don't understand that. Now everybody is talking about it. But it was really hard for me to introduce that.

WWD: Diversity is such a cultural touchstone now. Certainly, no one could argue against the importance of fashion reflecting reality. But in terms of inclusivity, it doesn't just mean ethnic and racial diversity. Fashion, especially at the luxury level, is by definition exclusionary. Is it ever OK to say, “We're not in the business of doing something for everyone?”

O.R.: I don't think it's OK. Luxury is obviously a world that is expensive and not everybody can afford it. What I have done with Balmain to be more inclusive is collaborations. Balmain is an expensive luxury brand, but I was doing collaborations so that people who dream of Balmain could

WWD: Tell us about some of the collaborations that you've done and the types of ones that you would like to do in the future.

O.R.: As you know, Balmain is very opulent and flamboyant. Sometimes people wonder who you are talking to. But for example, when I did my collaboration with H&M, it automatically sold out in New York.

That makes you realize that it's not about clothes. It's about talking to different kinds of continents and it's an inclusive brand. I think this was my favorite collaboration because I could see that kids were loving my brand, loving the unity that I was creating. After doing my collaboration with L'Orèal, now I think I'm good and I'll just go back to Balmain like, “I did a lot.”

WWD: You say that kids are connected to your brand and clearly it's not a kids' look. It's this powerful look. What was it about you and what you were doing? You said to me that before you arrived, Millennials didn't know what Balmain was. What did you do that struck such a chord?

O.R.: First I had to fight with my president. This was my biggest battle. Let's not forget that Balmain is a French, old brand from 1945. In America, there is always this idea of youth and inclusivity. In France, it is very different because the older you are, the better it is — like wine. So…at 24, you learn. I said to my president, “Why don't we go on social media? Let's take selfies with the models. Let's create a new platform. Magazines are incredible but that's not the goal.” So I started to create that world, putting together my ideas and my vision. At the same time, it's not just because I was 24 and I was doing sneakers and looking young in the street. I wanted to actually show that Millennials also love craftsmanship and quality. Being from France, I look up to Chanel, YSL, Poiret and all these incredible designers from the past. What I remember from them is the craftsmanship, the luxury, the timelessness. When you're young, you're cool. But cool is something that is not forever. Right now I'd rather be uncool and timeless. This is my goal.

WWD: You became an instant social media star. What was it about the way you handled social media that resonated so well. Did that ever get in the way of the fashion?

O.R.: No. I think it was revolution against designers being in golden towers. That's over. They want to see what you eat, what you think, how do you create your collection, why do you choose those models, why you choose that campaign and whether you are friendly with the people you have around. The behind-the-scenes was really important for me because I wanted to really express hope. I'm young and black, but I work a lot. I want to show you how I work and the people who I believe in. It was a way to express myself. It was a little frustrating at first because I didn't see my vision around [in fashion]. So I decided to create my world on social media.

WWD: You say that designers can't be in a golden tower. You're also not in a golden tower. For all the flamboyance of your clothes, and they are very flamboyant, you also pay attention to the commercial side of the business. Talk about that.

O.R.: I think being a creative director today is being a businessman. There is nothing wrong with making sure that you love business. We are not just creating clothes for models to walk and to not see them [being worn by shoppers] around the world. The idea for me was to always understand my members. Fashion is about being inclusive and seeing people wearing your clothes. So yeah, I'm really close to my president and sometimes I'm challenging him when I'm challenging myself.

WWD: When one looks at your runway, “commercial” isn't the first word that comes to mind. Talk about the importance of the runway and how that circles back to the commercial aspect. O.R.: This is really interesting because the success of a fashion show doesn't mean that you put a lot of commercial pieces on the runway. Balmain is based on a strong vision. Some dresses are $45,000, but some jackets are $1,000. You don't have to put the $1,000 jacket on the runway to sell it. When you express the vision, people go for the vision you express. A Balmain woman is a strong woman. She's powerful. She knows what she wants. She's confident so after they see the runway, they get the pieces they want in stores.

WWD: Another cultural element that is very strong today is feminism. Your Balmain woman is very strong with a super heroine aspect to the runway. At times, you've been criticized for the unreality of it especially in today's world. Can clothes be feminist or antifeminist? ►