Everything You Need to Know About Olivier Rousteing, Nike’s Newest Collaborator

Image via Complex Original

Despite having a desire to work in fashion at the age of 16, Rousteing enrolled in law school upon graduating high school. “I think I would be a good lawyer,” he told Out Magazine in 2014. “But, it wasn’t for me. I could do it, but it wouldn’t make me happy.” Shortly after, he transferred to the esteemed fashion school École Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode in Paris. He wasn’t a fan of that either and left after just six short months. Luckily, Rousteing’s lack of formal schooling has never seemed to hold him back.

Although not included as one of the four sneaker styles featured the upcoming collaboration, Rousteing’s favorite Nike is the Air Force 1. “They go everywhere with me,” he recently told French Vogue. “I always have those shoes. I feel cool with those shoes. They are a big part of my life, and they would have so many things to say if they could talk.” He’s also a fan of the Air Max, as it was the first pair of Nikes he ever owned.

At only 29 years-old, Rousteing is wise beyond his age—mostly thanks to an early start in the industry. When he was only 18, the would-be Balmain mastermind kick-started his career as an intern for Roberto Cavalli. He was quick to rise within the ranks and soon found himself working directly under Peter Dundas, the head designer at the time.

After spending six years honing his craft at Cavalli, he moved on to the to Balmain, where he would work alongside the controversial Christophe Decarnin. Rousteing quietly rose to become the French house’s studio manager and was appointed as creative director after Decarnin’s swift and jarring exit from the label.

Don’t be fooled by Rousteing’s flashy personality and the star-studded social circle he runs with—the designer means business. Balmain reportedly generated $32 million in revenue in 2014, up a whopping 20 percent from the previous year. Not bad considering the fashion house once faced bankruptcy back in 2004. Beyond the dollars, Rousteing is the most-followed French designer on Instagram and shows no signs of slowing down. Maybe it could be the Balmain biker jeans that nearly everyone has worn?

There are a few things both sneakerheads and fans of Rousteing have in common: waiting in line for days ahead of release and shouting at a computer screen in anger when you weren’t quick enough to cop. When H&M released their collaboration with Balmain last year, fans waited up to six days to be the first in line to purchase. Shortly after the in-store release, multiple videos surfaced showing stampeding crowds in cities all over the globe.

It wasn’t much easier for those who tried their hand at purchasing online via the H&M website. The release crashed the retail giant’s servers, and when it worked, the majority of the collection sold out within mere minutes of being posted.  If history is any indicator, you’ll need to bring your A game in order to get your hands on something from the upcoming Nike collaboration.

Kanye’s vampire-blue contact lenses might have stolen the show at this year's Met Gala, had it not been for his bling'd out denim jacket. Whether it was Yeezy’s blatant disregard for the “white tie” attire or the level of sheer detail in the garment, it was easily the most talked about outfit of the night. Rousteing also dressed Kim Kardashian that night, but make no mistake, it was her husband’s outfit that took the longest to create. "The hardest thing was Kanye's jacket,” Rousteing confessed to GQ. “We had to bleach the denim and then embroider it with all the stones and pearls. It was a different kind of process that we're not used to doing."

Rousteing isn’t shy in singing the praises of his female friends like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, but the designer clearly puts Rihanna a notch above anyone else. "She has this aura, this charisma,” he told The Telegraph last year. “This is a woman of the world who represents a new world." Rousteing famously cast Rihanna to be the face of Balmain’s Spring 2014 campaign, which was a bold move considering the once-traditional nature of the label.

"In front of the camera, she makes you feel like she is the only girl in the world," Rousteing told Vogue at the time of the campaign’s release. "When the woman that inspires you wears your creations, your vision feels complete." While Rousteing is also friends with a number of other high-profile females (Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Gigi Hadid), he seems to reserve his best compliments for RiRi.