Beyoncé and Jay-Z looked comfortable and casual while leaving the Hotel Maurice in Paris. Beyoncé paired a Balmain tank and checked trousers with a snakeskin Jimmy Choo bag. She added small pops of color to her black and white ensemble — red lipstick, nail polish, and peep-toe booties. Super sunglasses and silver hoop earrings finished off her Parisian-chic look. Shop here to get Beyoncé's tank, pants, and shades.
>> As suggested last week, Olivier Rousteing, a key deputy of Christophe Decarnin at Balmain, was just confirmed as the house's new designer. He will supervise the design and development of both men's and women's ready-to-wear collections, and will reportedly not give any interviews prior to the debut of his Spring 2012 collection later this year.
According to the press release, Rousteing had been in charge of Balmain's womenswear studio since 2009 and previously spent five years at Roberto Cavalli, where he was promoted to designer of women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collections. He is French-born, was raised in Bordeaux, and completed his fashion studies at ESMOD in Paris in 2003.
>> Karl Lagerfeld has never been one to hold verbal punches, and his recent conversation with W — in which he tells us how he really feels about Christophe Decarnin, explains why he doesn't use computers, and vouches for which designers he would like to see at Dior — is no exception.
A few highlights, below.
On whether he'll ever cut his hair: "No, because I’m afraid it won’t grow again. And I’m not very gifted for hairdos. This is the quickest thing in the world. It takes less than five seconds. I have someone who comes to the house and washes it, puts in the dry shampoo, and takes care of it because I have no time. I don’t even have time to go to the dentist. I’m busy but in a pleasant way. I’m the one who wanted to do all of it, so I can’t complain."
On who he wants to see take over at Givenchy: "Well I’m not a consultant there, but I think Riccardo Tisci would be good, and then Haider Ackermann at Givenchy — not because they are friends of mine, but because they are good."
And if he still wants Haider Ackermann to take over at Chanel: "Not especially. It’s not his world I don’t think."
His thoughts on Christophe Decarnin leaving Balmain: "Forget about it! This was a job done by a fashion editor. I don’t even know the name of the man who did it, so don’t ask me about that."
On why he doesn't use a computer and instead communicates by fax: "It’s very easy to explain: For me, sketching and writing are the same thing. I like to write. It’s a physical thing — I hate to be without paper and pencil in hand. And I write like a talk. I can put my way of talking on the paper exactly the same way. The machines they tried to make where you write directly on computers are not perfect. The minute they’re perfect, I will use them."
The one thing he doesn't like women to wear: "I’m not mad for thongs."
Rumors have swirled regarding who would replace Christophe Decarnin, since the brand let go of the designer earlier this month due to mental health issues. Now, reports are coming in that Olivier Rousteing, number two in command at Balmain, will most likely fill the position. Rousteing has been with Balmain since 2009 and worked at Roberto Cavalli for almost six years before that. The contract is reportedly in the works, and Rousteing is expected to be announced the successor sometime this week.
>> After reports that Balmain would go with an internal candidate to replace Christophe Decarnin, now comes news that Olivier Rousteing, a key deputy of Decarnin's — not Melanie Ward, as previously suggested — is likely the designer of choice. The contract is in the process, and Rousteing's appointment is expected to be announced as early as next week. Rousteing, "a young and promising creative dynamo," according to WWD's sources, has worked at Balmain since 2009 and was at Roberto Cavalli in Milan for almost six years before that. And as WWD points out, "promoting a number two has become a popular succession strategy in fashion in recent years as the importance of star designers has waned" — take Hannah MacGibbon at Chloe or Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli at Valentino, for example. [WWD]
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Short, tight, sexy, edgy. That pretty much sums up Christophe Decarnin's wildly successful design mantra during his five-year stint as head designer for Balmain. His collections helped reinvent the Parisian fashion house, ushering in a period of glamorously sharp-edged dressing that was part rock 'n' roll, part futuristic, and all provocative.
Regardless of the brand's success, WWD's report of Decarnin's splitting with Balmain comes as little surprise after rumors of mental health problems when the designer, following doctor's orders, missed his Fall 2011 show. A successor has not yet been named, so in the meantime, we're honoring Decarnin's transformative work at Balmain with a look of his work over the years. Click to see how Decarnin changed Balmain and our feelings about sharp-shouldered jackets.
>> Christophe Decarnin, who joined Balmain as a designer in 2005 and was named creative director of women's ready-to-wear in November 2007, has left the brand, effective immediately. A successor — an internal candidate is reportedly the frontrunner — is expected to be named next week.
Stylist Melanie Ward, who helped pull together the Fall 2011 collection under Decarnin's directives starting three weeks before the show, is Cathy Horyn's suggestion for successor. She has the experience: she was creative director of Helmut Lang for 13 years, when the namesake designer was still at that label.
Decarnin's exit is not a surprise, given his absence from the Fall 2011 show, due to doctor's orders after seeking treatment for depression. However, WWD reports that sources close to the designer say the state of Decarnin's mental health was overblown. A Balmain rep corroborates that the designer's depression wasn't the cause of his exit, saying this morning that Decarnin's absence from the show "is not the reason, but everything is related" and instead citing "work differences . . . that I cannot comment on."
Tensions between Decarnin and Balmain chairman and CEO Alain Hivelin had reached a breaking point by the time of the show, WWD reports, with each man holding widely divergent views of company strategy and direction. Hivelin cited a desire to keep a tight rein on distribution of the top line, which has had sales growth in excess of 50 percent in recent years, but was also quietly testing future avenues of growth for the brand — including a less-expensive line, Balmain Blue, that reportedly irked Decarnin and was never brought to market.
With Decarnin gone, it looks like that line may be brought back in some form: Ittierre, which produces diffusion collections like C’N’C Costume National and Just Cavalli (as well as Galliano), has reportedly secured a license with Balmain, although both companies have remained mum on the subject.
