I'm always trying to understand who I want to be, what I want, what I dream of. When I was a kid, I was really worried that my parents were going to bring me back to the orphanage. I was scared of tomorrow, scared that I was going to be abandoned again. So I tried to enjoy every minute of my life because maybe tomorrow wasn't going to happen. I think I live the same way today: scared of tomorrow. For someone who is considered a party boy, a guy who just has fun and drinks champagne, I'm really tortured.
Olivier RousteingI like people who are powerful, confident, and fearless. Balmain is about an attitude. I think if Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor were alive, they would definitely be part of the Balmain crew.
Olivier RousteingIt's really sad to me that we even have to talk about diversity in the fashion world today. That I would love to change. Diversity should be normal.
Olivier RousteingKanye West is inspirational. He expresses such a strong vision beyond music, beyond fashion - it's art. He sn't afraid to push boundaries and be provocative.
Olivier RousteingBeing part of what I call the "click" generation - where everything has to be fast and revolutionary and you just want more, and it's about likes and consuming - I want to bring new things to the table. A lot of designers say they're scared or overwhelmed because everything moves so quickly now. I think it would be scarier if it was too slow. I want to go fast.
Olivier RousteingMichael Jackson is timeless to me. The fact that he wanted to break the rules, that he was always talking about a new world, a global world - "Black or White," "They Don't Care About Us," "Heal the world. Make it a better place" - with this charisma, that always touched me. I'm obsessed with the fact that he went so political. He became a legend, and today I think he's still the King of Pop.
Olivier Rousteing