Olivier Rousteing was a Parisian fashion student who never had the opportunity to meet designers in the field.
“There’s a difference between learning from your studies, from your teachers, and having a designer or creative director coming and talking to you,”He said.
Balmain’s creative director hopes to rectify that with his new, yearlong partnership with the Instituto Marangoni in Paris.
“His advice will be very useful for anyone who wants to work in fashion,” said Valérie Berdah-Levy, director of Instituto Marangoni’s Paris school, whose programs include fashion design, fashion business, fashion styling and creative direction. “He’s very strong on social networks and what he did with Balmain is a kind of example.”
While multifaceted collaboration is still being explored, it is now to include:
• a masterclass in front of the entire student body, numbering about 450, and possibly some alumni, in April;
• a new scholarship sponsored by Balmain for the academic year starting in October 2022, and
• student participation in the September installment of the Balmain Fashion Festival, which combines Rousteing’s seasonal coed show and musical performances.
Rousteing will also be invited to advise Marangoni staff on the school’s curriculum. “We want his expertise and his knowledge to help us from an academic point of view,”She said. “We want him to be involved in the programs and give some advice. He likes to propose new ideas.”
Balmain has made inclusivity a top priority for the designer. He stated that he intends to “push and to help”You can find it in this area.
He also hopes to share with students how significantly the role as creative director has expanded to include “understanding the clients, understanding the climate, understanding what merchandising is, the schedules of fashion and the pressure of fashion and how to keep your feet on the ground.”
“Years ago a creative director would never mention business,”He said this in an interview. “Today you can’t be a creative director and not talk about business, and even about politics and broader responsibilities in the world.”
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Balmain has worked with the Paris school several times in recent years. Rousteing gave a lecture in 2019 to students. Everyone was amazed at the way Rousteing answered all questions and allowed everyone to take a selfie.
The courtyard of Instituto Marangoni Paris.
Courtesy Instituto Marangoni
“It certainly strengthened the students’ motivation,” Berdah-Levy said. “Everyone admires his talent, but also him as a human being,”
In 2020, Balmain also sponsored a scholarship for one of the school’s masters students in fashion and luxury brand management.
Rousteing for his part said that he is excited about the future “exchange of ideas”With students, and expects a great deal to learn about the new generation with different dreams, interests, fights, and visions.
“I’m telling you, I’m going to learn so much from them, as much as I hope they will learn from me,”He added.
As for the September fashion festival, Rousteing said he’s toying with the idea of co-creation with students, or having them customize Balmain items and selling them for charity.
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