French designer Olivier Rousteing took a major stance against thinness in the fashion industry in a recent interview with WWD.
“I believe in strong women,” Rousteing declared. “Women with all shapes. We have to get away from the real skinny girls.”
Rousteing has been Balmain’s creative director since 2011. From collaborating with H&M to contributing to the high-end line’s sexy image, he’s been a major fashion figure—and we hope his prominent position means that the entire industry takes this more seriously. His collaboration with H&M led him to appreciate and notice more diverse body types, according to the interview.
It’s unclear, however, what this means for Balmain and its models. So far, the faces of the brand seem to be girls like Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Jourdan Dunn; so it remains to be seen how exactly Rousteing will bring his message of body positivity to his line.
No matter what this means for Balmain, Rousteing’s stance on thinness in fashion reflects a much-needed change. We hope that his body-positive attitude actually becomes a trend in the fashion industry worldwide.