A Look Back on Olivier Rousteing’s Best Red Carpet Hits at Balmain

Fashion’s game of musical chairs continues: This morning, it was announced that designer Olivier Rousteing is departing his post as creative director of Balmain. Since 2011, Rousteing has built up the French luxury brand and armed it with a unique identity—his distinctive designs appearing in the pages of Vogue many times in the process. If Rousteing was particularly good at one thing, it was red carpet dressing: during his tenure, he proved he understood the power of celebrity and invested heavily in creating memorable Hollywood moments that always got fashion fans talking.

On the step-and-repeat, Rousteing’s Balmain could be summarized in two words: strength and power. His striking designs—sharp-shouldered suits and heavily-embellished mini dresses being his two biggest signatures—were certainly not for the wallflower. Instead, he crafted bold ensembles for his #BalmainArmy (whose members included Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Zendaya) that always made themselves known. “He just gets it, you know?” Kardashian once told Vogue of his approach. “He gets that you need to be in that space—whether it’s selling products or making sure there’s a social ­media moment, he knows it’s important.”

Photo: Getty Images

There have been many Balmain fashion hits over the years that people still discuss today. Back in 2014, when Kardashian was marrying Kanye West, Rousteing was responsible for the little white beaded dress the star wore to her bachelorette party (fresh off its fall 2012 catwalk)—embroidered with a sweet red rose and crystals. Kardashian has been a longtime muse to Rousteing: He has dressed the star countless times, including that full-latex look.

Rousteing has also had a strong fashion presence at the Met Gala, crafting thematic designs throughout the years that left fashion-lovers and paparazzi like going wild. In 2024, he transformed Tyla into a sandy sculpture. This year, he created a striking silver gown for Jenna Ortega that mimicked the silhouette of lined-up metal rulers. Simple and stealthy his frocks were not: They always required a certain commanding presence to pull them off.

Of course, his menswear was just as good. Where other luxury labels have leaned into classic suiting, a Balmain men’s look always upped the ante. In 2015, Justin Bieber hit the Met Gala in a golden-embroidered boxy suit, the perfect thing for a pop star heartthrob. More recently, he has also dressed risk-taking stars like Colman Domingo, who is always down to reinvent the wheel and subvert expectations. With his departure at Balmain today, a red carpet void is certainly left to be filled—you could say the A-list scene will feel just a little less fun.

Below, more of Rousteing’s best red carpet hits at Balmain. And be sure to vote on your very favorite look.