FIT TO HONOR OLIVER ROUSTEING, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF HOUSE OF BALMAIN

The Couture Council of The Museum at FIT announced that it will honor Oliver Rousteing, creative director of the house of Balmain, with the 2025 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion during the Council’s annual luncheon on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.

The event will take place at the start of New York Fashion Week and will benefit The Museum at FIT. Couture Council board members Jane DeFlorio, corporate director at Vivid Seats Inc., and Stephanie Loeffler, philanthropist and board member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, will serve as co-chairs. Bloomingdale’s will serve as the presenting sponsor of the luncheon.

For over a decade, Olivier Rousteing has served as the creative director of the Balmain house. In 2011, Rousteing was selected to head Balmain’s design team, becoming one of the youngest talents named to lead a Parisian fashion house at the age of twenty-five. Rousteing has been carefully building upon the legacy of the house’s founder, Pierre Balmain, who famously introduced a fresh, feminine, and surprising “New French Style” to post-war couture.

“Receiving The Museum at FIT’s Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion is a profound honor and a unique moment of reflection,” said Rousteing. “Style is not merely about clothing; it’s about the art of expression and the beautiful stories we share. Throughout my journey at Balmain, I’ve always pushed boundaries and challenged conventional notions of beauty to offer new and unexpected narratives. This award celebrates not just my work and my incredible team, but the collective spirit of boldness and creativity that fuels our industry as we continue to redefine the world of fashion.”

“We are delighted to honor Olivier Rousteing of Balmain, whose fashions have attracted a diverse global audience through the famous Balmain Army,” said Dr. Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT. “Olivier’s strong and beautiful fashions have been featured in a number of major exhibitions at The Museum at FIT, including Paris, Capital of Fashion (2019), Africa’s Fashion Diaspora (2023), and the forthcoming, Dress, Dreams, and Desire (2025). I have such respect for Olivier Rousteing, who is not only a very talented designer but also a thoughtful and genuine person.”

“I am honored to support the 2025 annual Couture Council Luncheon, both on behalf of Bloomingdale’s and personally as a member of the FIT Board of Trustees,” said Denise Magid, chief merchant at Bloomingdale’s. “We are especially thrilled that this impressive award will recognize our incredible partner, the esteemed fashion house Balmain, and well-deserving Olivier Rousteing, who has contributed to innovation and creativity within the industry through his designs.”

Tickets to the luncheon may be purchased here or contact couturecouncil@fitnyc.edu.