Leader of Balmain’s Army: Olivier Rousteing (and Rihanna).

 

Rihanna, Kim Kardashian West, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Naomi Campbell, Iman, Alessandra Ambrosio, Karlie Kloss, Nicki Minaj, Gigi Hadid, Joan Smalls, Miley Cyrus, Gisele Bundchen, Chanel Iman, Selena Gomez, Kanye West,…. the list goes ON & ON … BALMAIN’s Army is taking over the fashion world one catwalk & selfie at a time, courtesy of, Olivier Rousteing. The 28 year old creative director has turned the Paris Fashion house into a POWER house.

Rousteing’s unconventional ways are reigning the industry, especially due to the impact of celebs/supermodels/musicians. “When you look at the fashion brands, how many followers do they have? Balmain has 1.1 million. It’s like 10 per cent of what those girls have. It shows you the power of the personality more than the power of the entire brand.”

The Bourdeaux-born babe (for real those cheek bones…) talks to Telegraph.co.uk about design, his muses & more, he says, “Celebrity is more important today than it used to be. It gives access to so many different people. For me it’s the new high-street window. You can actually be part of the dream. It’s not only available to 10 people on the front row – it’s a way of communication that’s inclusive, and there’s something generous about that.”

On his main muse BadGalRiRi: “There’s no doubt about it. She has this aura, this charisma. It’s not only sexual. It’s something else. She is like a new Grace Kelly, or a Madonna… This woman of the world who represents a new world.” Adding,”No, if you mean, ‘Do I have someone in my life?’ No, I don’t. Just work and Rihanna.But that’s enough. That’s a lot!”

On women & fashion: “Fashion had started to forget women in a way, and concentrate too much on the clothes. For me it made no sense. In fashion the biggest moment was when the models were celebrities – we all remember Naomi, Claudia, Carla, Linda. The woman had to come back; the curved woman, and different kinds of body shapes. I don’t like skinny girls. I want to represent a real woman, not just a shadow or a ghost.”

On diversity on the runway: “The mixety [sic] of my castings is one of the most important things about the show,” Rousteing says. “Sometimes I feel like some designers just focus on the clothes. Obviously it’s a business, but when you do a show you want to be modern – it’s not only about trying to find the fabric that no one else uses. Being modern means having a view or a vision of what the world is today. I want to show a vision of my world, what I see and what I want to see in the future.”

On the founder of the French fashion house, Pierre Balmain: “I keep Pierre Balmain in my mind because he loved strong women, women who have something to say. All the French designers – Balmain, Poiret, Dior, Balenciaga – they believed in strong women. Their mothers were really important. In France fashion has always been connected to the role of the woman. I keep in my mind the rules of French fashion.”

We have to say – we’re inlove with Balmain & Olivier’s vision. Thoughts?

Nicki Minaj is BOSS.

The Queen of Rap Nicki Minaj looks like a true boss lady rocking a DSquared2 suit & Oliver Grant tie for the cover of L’Uomo VOGUE’s October issue // styled by Rushka Bergman.

Photographed by Francesco Carrozzini the Anaconda singer opens up about being female in a male-dominated arena – the rap world. The mega-musician was just spotted making a special appearance during Beyonce‘s On The Run Tour for a killer remix of ***FLAWLESS (see below).

On building her Empire: “At first no one took me seriously. In the world of rap, women are usually relegated to the choir,” Nicki told the magazine. “I want to build my empire. In my field, I have always seen men do it –- from Diddy to Dr. Dre to Jay Z. Now it’s a woman’s turn.”

Minaj got close with Queen Bey  and says it empowered her to see a woman balance her career & family. #BOSS.

“Seeing Beyonce with her daughter and husband was so tender, and it showed me that it is possible to be an animal on stage and a caring mother at the same time,” she said.

Ariana Grande ‘Breaks Free’ for Marie Claire.

21 year old musician//actress//model (basically your classic triple threat) Ariana Grande gets into the swingin’ sixties mode for her latest editorial with Marie Claire, photographed by Tesh.

With her hit songs Problem (featuring Iggy Azalea), Bang Bang (featuring Nicki Minaj & Jessie J.), and Break Free – all reigning the charts – she’s definitely made a name for herself in the industry, especially beyond her former Nickelodeon days. She may be considered a Diva (ahem mini-Mariah Carey) but homegirl isn’t slowing down anytime soon- from her signature style to her killer vocals, Ariana Grande is THE ultimate IT-Girl.

On early ambitions: “I was 14 years old and ready to make an R&B album. I was like, ‘Where is that Mary J. Blige collab? Where is that Natasha Bedingfield writing session? Where is my session with India.Arie? I’m ready. Let’s go.’ I wrote this song called ‘Higher,’ and the lyrics were too sexual, too mature. And my mom was like, ‘This is a great song, but damn, you’re too young for this.’”

On hiding behind her Nickelodeon character: “People liked her and they accepted her and they thought that I was like her. So I used to pretend to be a little more like her than I actually was.”

On her first single “Put Your Hearts Up” not doing well: “I was like, ‘Guys, there has to be a really distinct difference between me and my character.’ And we did that with ‘The Way.’ I dyed my hair back to brown. I made out with a rapper in the video. I made the point I wanted to make. And I was excited to do so after so many years of pretending to be somebody else in front of a lot of people.”

She also told the magazine on her must-have beauty product: “frank body scrub. I’m obsessed with it because it doesn’t test on animals and it’s completely vegan. It’s delicious and it’s amazing for your skin. I cannot live without it at the moment. It’s my favorite, it’s my all time favorite!”