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In a surprise exit, Olivier Rousteing has officially stepped down as Balmain’s creative director, the French fashion house confirmed on Instagram Wednesday morning. Rousteing spent 14 years helming Balmain as the maison’s first-ever Black creative director. He assumed the top position in 2011 …
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Olivier Rousteing has stepped down as creative director of Balmain after 14 years, the house announced today. The news closes one of the longest, most disruptive and most publicly visible designer tenures in 21st-century fashion.
“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. My thanks go to Mr. Rachid Mohamed Rachid and Matteo Sgarbossa for their unwavering belief in me and for entrusting me with this extraordinary opportunity. As I look ahead to the future and the next chapter of my creative journey, I will always hold this treasured time close to my heart,” said Rousteing in a statement.
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to Olivier for writing such an important chapter in the history of Balmain House. Olivier’s contribution and passion over the past years will leave an indelible mark on the history of fashion,” added Balmain CEO Matteo Sgarbossa.
When Rousteing was handed the Balmain job in April 2011, aged 25, he became the youngest non-founding designer to lead a major Paris house since Yves Saint Laurent was appointed at Dior. He was also the first Black person ever appointed creative leader of a heritage French house across all its design categories. During 2012, his first full year in charge, Balmain recorded revenues of €30.4 million and profit of €3.1 million: last year its revenues were estimated at €300 million.
Despite that tenfold fiscal uptick over his tenure, Balmain’s recently appointed leadership is committed to imposing different creative directions in order to drive future growth. The question is whether it will choose to appoint an established designer lead in Rousteing’s stead, or alternatively opt for the high-risk but also high-reward strategy of giving the Balmain platform to a creative as untested as Rousteing was when his story at the house began.
Then unknown outside the industry — and largely unknown within it — he had been working in the Balmain studio under his predecessor Christophe Decarnin since 2009. His appointment was backed by Balmain’s then-owner Alain Hivelin, who had rescued the house from near-bankruptcy: when Decarnin unexpectedly left, Hivelin took a gamble. “I will be forever grateful to Alain Hivelin for his vision, his support and friendship,” Rousteing said after Hivelin’s death in 2014.
Despite being “terrified” at his Spring/Summer 2012 debut, Rousteing steadily built in confidence. From his earliest seasons, Rousteing characterized himself as both custodian to Pierre Balmain’s heritage and disruptor to fashion’s wider conservatism. Alongside high-impact, heavily embellished and, often, critically divisive collections, he developed what he termed the Balmain Army: a collective social-media driven community built around diversity, visibility and direct connection with the public. “When I started to have a lot of diversity in the casting, and when I started to play hip-hop music, some people started to question what I was doing,” he later recalled. “And then Rihanna came backstage and said, ‘You’re changing the rules of this fashion world.’”
“I never had an example, so I became my own,” Olivier Rousteing told the crowd at Lincoln Center as he accepted the 2025 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion. For the Balmain creative director—who, as a young, Black designer, carved his path in an industry that offered few role models—those words carried particular resonance. Speaking with characteristic power and poise, Rousteing set the tone for a luncheon that celebrated both his artistry and his barrier-breaking career.
As creative director of Balmain, Rousteing has long forged his own path, and The Museum at FIT’s annual Couture Council luncheon recognized exactly that. “We’ve been having the Couture Council benefit luncheon for about 15 years now,” Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the museum, told Vogue ahead of the event. “We’ve honored people like Mr. Valentino and Karl Lagerfeld, and I’m so thrilled to honor Olivier this year. He really emphasizes diversity, reaching out, and encouraging people that they can make it too.”
In the green room before the reception, Rousteing spoke candidly: “Being here today with FIT is beyond an honor. It’s so prestigious. It is a dream of a child. It is a dream of a creative director. It’s something I never believed would happen in my life.”
Soon, Lincoln Center began to fill with luminaries—Martha Stewart, Jeremy Pope (who presented Rousteing with the award), and a host of fashion and art patrons. The cocktail reception was awash in Balmain signatures: sharp tailoring, glinting gold buttons, pristine pleats. That aesthetic carried into the grand dining room, where guests dined on watermelon carpaccio and halibut with zucchini garnish.
On stage, Rousteing captivated the audience with his thoughtful words, humility, and evocative storytelling. More than accolades, it was clear his true aim is to inspire. Following the luncheon, he planned to address FIT students. “More than just getting the prize today, I am so proud to talk to the students,” he told Vogue. “I started at 24 as a creative director, so giving advice to younger people is such an incredible moment of my life. What I have done in my career is all to help the future generation not go through what I went through. I’m proud of that today.”
When asked what advice he would impart, Rousteing offered three points: “One: Be yourself. We are in a world where it’s not easy to be yourself. It sounds cheesy, but with social media and everything happening in the world, you can be influenced by what surrounds you. Two: Don’t give up. Whatever the industry, always fight for success and stick to your values. There are a lot of obstacles, but resilience will help you reach your goal. Three: Find your own wisdom. In life, no matter what you do, you need to find your wisdom, peace, and serenity with yourself. Something I always say at Balmain with my team is that I would rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I’m not. That is really important, because life is about taking risks and being disruptive.”
Disruptive and daring—Rousteing will settle for nothing less. To the Couture Council, it is precisely those who break barriers who are most deserving of recognition. For the FIT students, his words promise to be as unforgettable as his designs.