Balmain x H&M Collab Has Inspiring Theme Behind It

For the first time since announcing it at the Billboard Music Awards last month, Olivier Rousteing talks about the Balmain x H&M collaboration and the running theme throughout the highly anticipated collection. The 29-year-old designer is not only a favorite among the fashion crowd, but also a role model to millions of young people for his pro-diversity stance. Rousteing hopes that his vision for Balmain translates into the collection that he designed for H&M.

"Balmain is a real luxury brand and really inclusive," Rousteing said. "I'm pushing the concept of diversity and communicating with the world. Thanks to H&M — that is this huge platform — joining Balmain and H&M is creating an entire nation."

With over one million Instagram followers, Rousteing has successfully transformed the 69-year-old French fashion house into a brand that relates to millennials. The popular hashtag #BalmainArmy is not just a social media tactic, but a call to arms for those who advocate for change, equality, and acceptance. In keeping up with his "let's take over the world with love" credo, Rousteing came up with a new hashtag for the H&M collaboration. "The hashtag #HMBalmaiNation is a symbol of togetherness," he said.

Aside from Kendall Jenner and Jourdan Dunn wearing pieces from the Balmain x H&M collection on the Billboard red carpet, the world has yet to see the entire collection. Rousteing says that he appreciates the anticipation and excitement surrounding an H&M collaboration because of personal experience. "I'm an H&M boy," he said. "I was waiting two or three hours to get the clothes, so I know the excitement that can happen to the people in the world. That's something that I think is amazing."

The Balmain x H&M collaboration will be released on November 5.

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