Source: Victor VIRGILE / Getty
Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing shared Sept. 17 that over 50 pieces were stolen from the heritage fashion house’s collection, set to show at Paris Fashion Week later this month.
Rousteing took to Instagram with the news on the day of the alleged hijacking. His post explained to his over 9.8 million followers and Balmain lovers that a courier was robbed of the pieces by “a group of people.”
The robbery allegedly happened as the driver transported the pieces from the airport to Balmain’s headquarters in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Rousting said the driver alerted him and the brand’s design team about the thievery sometime after 9 a.m. when the creative director reached headquarters to go over fittings for Balmain’s forthcoming Paris Fashion Week show.
Rousteing described the weight of the robbery as “unfair” and disrespectful.
While he expressed gratitude that the driver was ultimately safe, the creative director emphasized that Balmain’s team worked extremely hard on a collection that was robbed from them and its debut.
Rousteing noted that he, Balmain’s workers, suppliers and general team will have to work “days and nights” — as they’re “redoing everything.”
“Please be safe. This is the world we are living in,” the creative director said at the end of his post’s caption. “Love you, my Balmain team, and we won’t give up.”
Rousteing shared no details on whether any of the pieces had been recovered or if there were any leads regarding the robbery. Reuters noted that a spokesperson for the fashion house declined to comment as an investigation is pending.
In the comments of Rousteing’s Instagram post, fashion powerhouses shared well wishes to him and the Balmain team. Kind and encouraging words came from Donatella Versace, model Linda Evangelista and the brand Jacquemus.
Rousteing would have sent down the robbed pieces as a part of Balmain’s Spring/Summer 2024 Paris Fashion Week show.
The brand is still scheduled to close out day three of the fashion-focused nine-day run, which goes down in Paris from Sept. 25 to Oct. 3. Other notable fashion brands set to show on day three are The Row, Marni, Dries Van Noten and Acne Studios, according to Vogue.
Balmain was founded by its namesake, Pierre Balmain, in 1945. Rousteing has served as creative director for the French fashion house since 2011, when he was just 25.
Rousteing reflected on reaching the 10th anniversary of stepping into the role back in 2021. He stated that he wasn’t the expected choice when he filled the role but that he’d continue breaking barriers via his work at Balmain.
“When the door opened for me in 2011, I was not the most expected candidate for a Creative Director. Since then, I have been determined to use this opportunity and position to keep pushing for further change. I’ve worked to ensure that Balmain’s presentations, workspaces and campaigns reflect the true diverse beauty of today’s world.”
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