Fashion chief hid fireplace explosion injuries in shame
A FRENCH fashion designer has said the industry’s obsession with perfection made him hide his scars for a year as he revealed the full extent of his injuries from a fireplace blast at his house.
Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of Balmain, was badly burnt in last October’s explosion but only shared the emotional fallout with others on Saturday. The 36-year-old uploaded a photo of himself to Instagram, taken when he was in hospital and heavily bandaged with serious burns on his upper body.
“Exactly a year ago, the fireplace inside my house exploded,” he wrote.
He woke up the next day at the Saint Louis Hospital in Paris, and has since been recovering from his injuries.
“I did everything to hide this story from as many people as possible and trying to keep the secret with my teams and friends for too long,” Mr Rousteing wrote.
“To be honest I am not really sure why I was so ashamed, maybe this obsession with perfection that fashion is known for and my own insecurities …” he added.
Mr Rousteing said he hid his scars for a year with face masks, turtlenecks, long sleeves and rings on his fingers during interviews and photo shoots.
Meanwhile, the first black creative director of a major French couture house carried on working on Balmain’s latest collection, which was showcased last month on the banks of the Seine.
The show was heavily influenced by his own experience of healing. Several dresses and skirts included features that looked like gauze bandages.
“My last show was about the celebration of healing over pain and I thank all the models, my friends that came and supported not only my 10 years of Balmain but my rebirth,” he wrote.
Mr Rousteing said he is now healed, “happy and healthy”.