olivier rousteing: diversity is the future of fashion
The Balmain Creative Director has spoken about his experience of diversity, saying it is something he will always fight for.
"I'm the Creative Director of Balmain, but my start was not so successful," Olivier Rousteing says in a new interview with CNN. The 30 year old French fashion designer was adopted at the age of one, and says, "my parents are white, and they chose me — I think it's a beautiful act of love".
"I realised I was different when I was 11 years old, and from this moment I said, 'I'm going to fight for diversity'," he says, calling it the "most important topic". "I really hope that in a way I'm changing some mentalities," he adds, explaining, "I'm a black designer in a really traditional and luxury old house; I think it's a really positive message".
Rousteing says, "The aesthetic of my clothes is really important, but the aesthetic of world, of the vision that I have — of this diversity that I want to push — it's way stronger than my collection. I want to dress different girls, different women; in the casting — the models, in my front row". "I would love that fashion push also those boundaries," he adds, "Diversity should be a topic for all the creative people. It's the future of fashion, it's part of me, and something that I will always fight for."
