WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS: Olivier Rousteing made a surprise appearance in the front row at Virgil Abloh’s debut men’s runway show for his label Off-White in Paris on Wednesday. The Instagram star revealed he has been friends with Abloh since before taking over as creative director of Balmain in 2011. Now, they are all part of one extended family, since Abloh is Kanye West’s creative director, and Rousteing featured West and his wife Kim Kardashian in a Balmain men’s wear advertising campaign last year.
“We are all there for each other and we support each other, and I think the most important thing in fashion is to stick together,” Rousteing said. “We are really close-knit and I totally understand his vision, he understands mine. We exchange our views on fashion regularly and we have very similar opinions, even if our styles are very different. It was essential for me to support him today, especially since my men’s show is in three days.”
Stylist and creative director Ian Connor, also part of the Off-White posse, was even more demonstrative in his support, mobbing Abloh as he took his runway bow.