Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing is a world-renowned, celebrity-loved fashion designer and one of the youngest people ever to be put at the helm of a major French fashion house. He’s also a Stranger Things superfan, and his love for the show is what inspired Balmain x Stranger Things, a 12-piece capsule collection of pop-infused, ’80s-inspired Balmain shirts, denim and more. The limited-edition collection is available on Nov. 6 in celebration of Stranger Things Day (that’s the day Will Byers went missing in Hawkins, Indiana, in 1983), and fans can shop the exclusive pieces at the Balmain flagship boutiques on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris and Melrose Place in Los Angeles, as well as at Balmain.com.
Below, Rousteing talks about his love for the Stranger Things aesthetic, his favorite characters to watch over the years and how he created clothing for fans who could totally see themselves shopping at the Starcourt Mall.
You’re a Stranger Things fan, first and foremost. What drew you to the show?
That’s easy to answer — the story! Seriously, how could you not be immediately captured by the Duffer Brothers’ genius in storytelling? As soon as each new season is released, I binge, and I love the feeling of being pulled into that amazing, dreamlike world.
Is there a character you feel most inspired by?
All the actors are so damn good. They definitely manage to make those characters really come alive for me. For me, that whole group of nerdy friends is so relatable and their stories are incredibly compelling. And I’m so grateful for having been introduced to Winona Ryder — now I can understand why my parents were such fans of her work. But Eleven… wow. The incredible complexity of Eleven is fascinating for me. There are just so many layers to her: the rebel who is so tough and yet so fragile, the girl with unknown origins who is beyond loyal to her friends. Millie Bobby Brown plays her character with absolute perfection. I’ve loved following along, being one of the millions of witnesses watching El grow emotionally, over the past couple years.
What do you love about the Stranger Things aesthetic — fashion or otherwise?
I’m definitely not the first to say that the look of the series is absolute perfection — but for me to say that I love what they’ve created will come as no surprise to anyone who has been following Balmain for the last 11 years. I am fascinated by the incredible pop effervescence and distinctive stylings of the ’80s — that’s why I’ve channeled so many key influences from that period into the house’s collections and runway shows. I have so much admiration for the creative superstars responsible for creating the Stranger Things sets, hair, makeup, soundtrack and wardrobes — and everything else that goes into building that one-of-a-kind mix forming Stranger Things’ perfect ambiance. I love the pop brightness, but I’m also blown away when I see how they consistently manage to create amazingly opposite universes.
Can you speak to your approach to the Balmain x Stranger Things collection?
From the beginning, I knew that blending our heritage, French stylings and artisanal skills with Stranger Things’ distinctive look was going to work. I told my team that we were going to create the ideal inventory for a special luxury boutique that could have been set inside the Starcourt Mall. We played with ideas that we’ve shown on our fashion-week runways, as well as favorite looks from the series’ different characters. And, of course, we relied on that expert styling, tailoring and embellishment that one expects from Balmain.
Which parts of this collection feel like Balmain, and which feel like Stranger Things?
I’m not sure that it’s possible to draw a dividing line. As my team and I designed this collection, our goal was to really blend the perfect ambiance of Stranger Things into the Balmain universe. We mixed our Parisian codes and techniques — and the French savoir-faire that this house’s craftsmen have been celebrated for since 1945 — with that Stranger Things attitude and outlook to create the perfect blend. And, once you’ve truly melded something together, it actually becomes a brand-new whole which cannot be separated into parts.
On Nov. 6, 1983, Will Byers went missing in Hawkins, Indiana. Long after the town gave up the search, his friends kept looking... and discovered a mysterious girl known only by a number: Eleven. She was alone, hunted and extremely powerful. Eleven would stop at nothing to help them find their friend. Today, Stranger Things fans everywhere celebrate Nov. 6 as Stranger Things Day, a special day to share their love for the series.
