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BoF LIVE: Olivier Rousteing on a Decade at Balmain

The Balmain creative director speaks to Tim Blanks about making a documentary on the search for his birth parents and the power of his “Balmain Army” of influencers.
Balmain's Olivier Rousteing in conversation with Tim Blanks

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Olivier Rousteing is in a reflective mood. This year marks a decade since he was appointed Balmain’s creative director at just 24, injecting a digital-savvy modernity into the 75-year-old couture fashion house. He’s also been on a journey of personal discovery, with “Wonder Boy,” a documentary about the adopted designer’s search for his birth parents, which landed on Netflix on June 26. Knowing very little about his heritage, Rousteing found the process of learning about his birth parents an emotional but reaffirming journey. He highlighted how throughout his life he has remained authentic to himself in everything he does. “The first show that I have done to my last one I have always been me, just being different,” said Rousteing. “It doesn’t mean that whatever the extravaganza and the glamour that you have seen that it was not me, but it was just another side of me.”

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