Olivier Rousteing is in a reflective mood. This year marks a decade since he was appointed Balmain’s creative director at just 24, injecting a digital-savvy modernity into the 75-year-old couture fashion house. He’s also been on a journey of personal discovery, with “Wonder Boy,” a documentary about the adopted designer’s search for his birth parents, which landed on Netflix on June 26. Knowing very little about his heritage, Rousteing found the process of learning about his birth parents an emotional but reaffirming journey. He highlighted how throughout his life he has remained authentic to himself in everything he does. “The first show that I have done to my last one I have always been me, just being different,” said Rousteing. “It doesn’t mean that whatever the extravaganza and the glamour that you have seen that it was not me, but it was just another side of me.”

In a conversation with BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks, Rousteing reflects on his childhood, the role of social media to connect young consumers with luxury and his outlook for post-pandemic fashion.

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