2025 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion: Olivier Rousteing
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - The Couture Council of The Museum at FIT (MFIT) will honor Olivier Rousteing, creative director of the house of Balmain, with the 2025 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion during the Council's annual luncheon on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
The event heralds the arrival of New York Fashion Week, with proceeds benefiting The Museum at FIT, the only museum in New York dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion. Couture Council board members Jane DeFlorio, corporate director at Vivid Seats Inc., Stephanie Loeffler, philanthropist and board member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, will serve as co- chairs. Bloomingdale's will proudly serve as the presenting sponsor of the luncheon, an extension of Bloomingdale's longstanding commitment to celebrating and supporting the art of fashion.
For more than a decade, Olivier Rousteing has acted as the creative director of the Balmain house. In 2011, Rousteing was selected to head Balmain's design team, becoming one of the youngest talents named to lead a historic Parisian fashion house at the age of twenty-five. Rousteing has been carefully building upon the legacy of the house's founder, Pierre Balmain, who famously introduced a fresh, feminine, and surprising "New French Style" to post-war couture.
Beginning with inspirations pulled directly from the house's rich archives, and fully utilizing the Balmain atelier's impressive mastery of intricate traditional couture techniques, Rousteing has been able to skillfully graft his own distinctive style at the historic house. He is considered to be creating a modern and inclusive "New French Style"—one which melds together an immediately recognizable singular silhouette, a contemporary outlook reflecting Rousteing's own extraordinary personal journey, and a spirit pulled directly from the avenues and boulevards of a transformed-yet-eternal Paris, the dynamic and diverse fashion capital that has influenced every Balmain collection for 80 years.
"Receiving The Museum at FIT's Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion is a profound honor and a unique moment of reflection," said Rousteing. "Style is not merely about clothing; it's about the art of expression and the beautiful stories we share. Throughout my journey at Balmain, I've always pushed boundaries and challenged conventional notions of beauty to offer new and unexpected narratives. This award celebrates not just my work and my incredible team, but the collective spirit of boldness and creativity that fuels our industry as we continue to redefine the world of fashion."
"Appointed to his post at Balmain at the age of 25 as the youngest creative director in Paris since Yves Saint Laurent, Olivier Rousteing has had a major influence on the industry," said Dr. Joyce F. Brown, FIT President. "Olivier's path as a visionary young designer is especially inspiring to our students, and we celebrate his cultivation of a broad and inclusive clientele over the past 14 years at Balmain."
"We are delighted to honor Olivier Rousteing of Balmain, whose fashions have attracted a diverse global audience through the famous Balmain Army," said Dr. Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT. "Olivier's strong and beautiful fashions have been featured in a number of major exhibitions at The Museum at FIT, including Paris, Capital of Fashion (2019), Africa's Fashion Diaspora (2023), and the forthcoming, Dress, Dreams, and Desire (2025). I have such respect for Olivier Rousteing, who is not only a very talented designer but also a thoughtful and genuine person."
"I am honored to support the 2025 annual Couture Council Luncheon, both on behalf of Bloomingdale's and personally as a member of the FIT Board of Trustees," said Denise Magid, chief merchant at Bloomingdale's. "We are especially thrilled that this impressive award will recognize our incredible partner, the esteemed fashion house Balmain, and well-deserving Olivier Rousteing, who has contributed to innovation and creativity within the industry through his designs."
Past recipients of the Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion are Simon Porte Jacquemus (2024), Gabriela Hearst (2023), Maria Grazia Chiuri of DIOR (2022), Wes Gordon of Carolina Herrera (2021), Christian Louboutin (2019), Narciso Rodriguez (2018), Thom Browne (2017), Albert Kriemler of AKRIS (2016), Manolo Blahnik (2015), Carolina Herrera (2014), FIT alumnus Michael Kors (2013), Oscar de la Renta (2012), Valentino (2011), Karl Lagerfeld of CHANEL (2010), Dries Van Noten (2009), Isabel Toledo (2008), Alber Elbaz of LANVIN (2007), and FIT graduate Ralph Rucci (2006). In 2008, Giorgio Armani received a special award for Global Fashion Leadership.
PATRON LEVELS FOR THE COUTURE COUNCIL LUNCHEON:
| Fashion Icon Table | $50,000 (one table for 10 guests with premium seating) |
| Haute Couture Table | $25,000 (one table for 10 guests with superior seating) |
| Couture Table | $20,000 (one table for 10 guests with priority seating) |
| Haute Couture Single Ticket | $2,500 |
| Couture Single Ticket | $2,000 |
ABOUT BALMAIN:
Balmain is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1945 by Pierre Balmain as an expression of his innovative 'New French Style.' Today, under the creative direction of Olivier Rousteing, the brand ushers in a new era of modern elegance and sophistication, drawing on its unique heritage from 80 years of history. Timeless beauty and contemporary flair fuse in the vision of an authentic woman - confident, sensual, genuine, and approachable - embodying a subtle tension between strength and grace that echoes Monsieur Balmain's signature silhouettes and architectural volumes. Alongside the women's ready-to-wear and accessory collections, the house speaks to its global audience with a men's tailoring collection and the Balmain Beauty line, inspired by the iconic Balmain fragrances from the 1940s and 1950s.
ABOUT BLOOMINGDALE'S:
Bloomingdale's is America's only nationwide, full-line, upscale department store. A division of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE: M), it currently operates 32 Bloomingdale's stores, 21 Bloomingdale's The Outlet stores, and four Bloomie's stores in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington. In addition, Bloomingdale's has an international presence with a location in Dubai and Kuwait. Founded in 1872, the iconic retailer celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022. Be sure to follow @bloomingdales on social media, become a Loyallist, and for more information, or to shop any time, visit www.bloomingdales.com.