It’s a shocking revelation. Olivier Rousteing, artistic director of Balmain, posted a photo of himself, with his face completely burnt and the rest of his body wrapped in bandage. A year ago, he was badly burned.
No one suspected it. Olivier Rousteing panicked the Web this Saturday, October 9. This time, Internet users were not talking about the Balmain show during Paris fashion week, but of a drama experienced by its artistic director. The 36-year-old fashion guru revealed on Instagram a rare snapshot of him. Above, he appears surrounded by bandage, in a frozen position, and his face covered with scars from burns. “I finally feel ready to share this. I’ve been hiding it for too long and it’s time you knew it”, He began.
The photo is from a year ago, when “the chimney of (his) house exploded”. “I woke up the next morning at the Saint-Louis hospital in Paris. The talented staff at this famous hospital, which were dealing with an incredible number of COVID cases at the same time, took care of me. I can’t thank them enough”, Revealed Olivier Rousteing. The artistic director of Balmain therefore spent a year trying to hide, at all costs, the drama he lived. A behavior he adopted to protect himself. “I tried to keep it a secret with my teams and friends for too long. To be honest I don’t really know why I was so ashamed maybe that obsession with perfection that fashion is known for and my own insecurities …”
Do everything to hide your scars
Passionate about fashion, he did not stop working, however. “As soon as I recovered I worked day and night to forget and create all my collections, trying to make the world dream with my creations.”During his outings, he did everything to cover his tracks and hide anything that could suggest that he was the victim of a domestic accident. For this he used “masks, turtlenecks, long sleeves and even multiple rings on all (his) fingers during numerous interviews or photo ops”.
But it also made him realize the power of social media. “I really realized that the power of social media is to only reveal what you want to show ! In a way, this allows us to create our own special narrative that avoids what we don’t want to see or show: this is our new world”, He noted.
A special fashion week
It is therefore thanks to his dedication that Balmain was able to participate in the various fashion weeks. That of Paris had therefore a different taste. “My last show was a celebration of healing over pain and I thank all the models, productions, my team, my Balmain family and my friends who came and supported not only my 10 years of Balmain but also my rebirth.”
A year after this accident, he explains that he is much better. “Today, i feel so free, so good and so lucky. I’m starting a new chapter with a smile on his face and a heart full of gratitude.”A gratitude that goes directly to the nursing staff at the hospital, but also to all the people who helped him during his recovery.