Balmain Designer Olivier Rousteing Talks Criticism with Iconic Journalist Suzy Menkes

When Olivier Rousteing took up the position as Balmain’s creative director in 2011 at the tender age of 24, he made headlines as the youngest creative director in Paris since Yves Saint Laurent, but also faced harsh criticism and racism. In the decade since, Rousteing spearheaded the role of the front-facing designer as one of the first to fully embrace social media and the culture of celebrity, connecting with a vast audience along the way. In a new conversation with the iconic fashion critic Suzy Menkes, a long time supporter and mentor of sorts, mediated by Emily Zak for SHOWstudio, Rousteing and Menkes discuss how they feel about fashion criticism today, and how it has changed. Visit SHOWstudio.com for more content. Established in November 2000, SHOWstudio is an award-winning fashion website, founded and directed by Nick Knight, that has defined the manner in which fashion is presented via the Internet. A pioneer of fashion film and live fashion broadcasting, SHOWstudio is now recognised as the leading force behind these mediums, offering a unique platform to nurture and encourage fashion to engage with moving image in the digital age. In its documentation of fashion and the arts, SHOWstudio has collaborated with pop culture icons and creatives including Tracey Emin, Lady Gaga, John Galliano, Kate Moss, Alexander McQueen, Charles Jeffrey, Gareth Pugh and many more. Visit SHOWstudio: http://showstudio.com/​ Explore our channel: / showstudio​ Instagram: https://w