Balmain
head designer Olivier Rousteing has revealed that he thinks social media
website Instagram is revolutionising fashion. He comments that people now look
through the photos published on the website as though they are window-shopping
and it opens up a whole new world to a variety of people, which is making
fashion more accessible to the masses. He explained: ''It gives access to so
many different people. For me it's the new high-street window. You can actually
be part of the dream. It's not only available to 10 people on the front row -
it's a way of communication that's inclusive, and there's something generous
about that.''
With
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West as the current face of the brand, Balmain have
been tactfully making use of celebrity power, and he thinks being famous has
more influence than ever. Olivier explained: ''When you look at the fashion
brands, how many followers do they have? Balmain has 1.1 million. It's
like 10 per cent of what those girls have. It shows you the power of the
personality more than the power of the entire brand. Celebrity is more
important today than it used to be.''
Hoping
to stay in touch with the French label's historical roots, Rousteing says that
he always keeps in mind the label's founder, as well as what French fashion is
all about: ''I keep Pierre Balmain in my mind because he loved strong women,
women who have something to say. All the French designers - Balmain, Poiret,
Dior, Balenciaga - they believed in strong women. Their mothers were really
important. In France, fashion has always been connected to the role of the
woman. I keep in my mind the rules of French fashion.''
