Sometimes I feel fashion is not open-minded enough. We need to push the old crowd to believe in what I believe, in the new generation. I remember when I started, my campaigns and and how I connected my love for music with fashion were a tiny bit controversial because they were like, 'How can you bring hip-hop or music into a luxury world?' or 'How you can be so connected to digital and use social media in luxury world?' Now it's changed, obviously, for the best, but I still think that we could push a bit more.
Olivier RousteingI wish fashion would have changed a bit more; obviously, there is change, but it's not enough - for example, I don't think there's enough diversity in fashion on the catwalk, in magazines. I really would love to push that more.
Olivier RousteingEven if I'm the youngest in the group, I'm the one taking care of everybody. I'm always in control, which means that I can see what everyone around me is doing, what they're going to do. At the end of the day, I make sure to never let go of that control.
Olivier RousteingWhen you become controversial, when you want to promote new ideas, you need to be the face of it and not be scared.
Olivier RousteingWhen you build a big empire, you become the persona that people think they know. So when you try to show them who you are, to help them discover you, they just want what they think they know about you. I would have been smarter to build some relationships when I was younger, a private love or something. Today it is more difficult. But it's the price to pay. I never regret anything, because every choice I made for a reason, but I'd love personal love.
Olivier RousteingIt's tricky because Instagram is not Grindr. I'm always trying to show my good side. I never complain. When I have a moment of sadness, I make sure no one ever sees. And while I'm so good at talking to friends or talking about my job, if you were to ask me to dinner - just the two of us, in a romantic way - I would be the worst. I'm so shy I would not talk.
Olivier RousteingI think the only word I can use to describe what I'm doing today is feeling free. Of course, it's a business - it's about money at the end of the day, but it's about ideas as well. When you treat fashion only like a business, you're not going to go anywhere; when you push on that, we have the chance to express ourselves.
Olivier Rousteing