After roughly 50 of their works were stolen less than two weeks ago, a designer in Paris pulls off a spectacular reversal.
Olivier Rousteing ignores robbery to direct the glamorous Balmain presentation.
Olivier Rousteing, the artistic director of Balmain, is not only a fashion designer but also somewhat of a rock star. Screams and cheers from the audience greeted him as he launched white flowers into the air outside the venue following the spring/summer 2024 fashion presentation during Paris Fashion Week.
In a Loulou Westlake creation, Balmain
Models flanking the catwalk inside the Théâtre National de la Danse were sporting the recently displayed collection.
The event, according to Rousteing, is “about love, it’s about Paris, it’s about France, it’s about the world, it’s about everybody here,” he said in his address to the crowd.
This display and its message that “love is all” could be interpreted as a part of Rousteing’s resistance to adversity. A delivery driver’s vehicle was stolen by a group of persons as they traveled from the Paris airport to the Balmain studio less than ten days before this show’s scheduled debut of roughly 50 of the intended creations.
Rousteing informed his 9.8 million Instagram followers of the news on September 17. The creative director made it clear that the show will still continue on despite the setback. “There were so many workers
Anyone who tuned in to the broadcast on Wednesday would have thought it was routine. Champagne was served beforehand on trays, Cher, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Kim Cattrall sat front row, and the collection featured many glitzy pieces like vinyl minidresses, skirt suits in the manner of the 1980s, polka-dot pants, and long pleated gowns. It took effort to make something look glossy and polished, therefore such was the case.
Rousteing had posted on Instagram, “We will work more, days and nights, and our suppliers will work days and nights, as well. 70% of the stolen items might be recreated by Balmain’s suppliers in time.
Rousteing stated that the Paris police had found the stolen van and some of the empty boxes that had once held the clothing in the show notes for the collection. He expressed his gratitude to his colleagues and the people who supported them after hearing about the robbery. “Despite the fact that you were already worn out, you had the courage to make sure that a heist wouldn’t interfere with our runway. I am grateful for your incredible soul and even more in awe of your talents now than I was before.
Everything from a pair of cycling shorts and matching peplum to a corset-style creation with thorny branches enveloping the model’s torso incorporated roses as the subject. Rousteing did not miss the metaphor.
The theft, according to Rousteing, demonstrated how “a big part of working in fashion is always trying to deal as best you can with unexpected setbacks”. It may be said that he has exceeded all expectations. In the ten days following the event, this performance went off without a hitch, and Beyoncé performed in Houston while on her Renaissance tour wearing a polka-dot dress resembling the styles from spring/summer 2024. Life offered the artistic director lemons, to quote the celebrity. He created stylish lemonade.