Olivier Rousteing: How Music Can Fuel Creativity

When you type in “Olivier Rousteing pop music,” the first link you are met with is an Apple Music playlist curated by the fashion designer.  This playlist is filled with songs from the early 2000s mixed with contemporary music by artists like Doja Cat, Beyoncé, and The Weeknd.  When you think of Olivier Rousteing’s designs as the creative director for Balmain, it’s almost impossible to not associate a song or pop artist with his work.  He does not shy away from letting his music taste influence his dress form.  Recently, he made a collection of looks to go with each song on Beyoncé’s latest album “Renaissance.”  So what does this say about music and fashion?  By analyzing designers such as Olivier Rousteing, we see the power music has to stir up one’s creativity. 

Collaboration Between Music and Fashion

Over the years, we’ve seen how closely intertwined music and fashion are.  We see this collaboration in a way where the pop artist usually sets a fashion trend, think of Kurt Cobain wearing flannel & denim, Britney Spears &  low-rise jeans, and Madonna’s corsets and jewelry.  In these situations, the pop star sets the trends, by accompanying a wardrobe that represents the style of their latest song.

However, Olivier presents a fresh approach to collaborating fashion and music. In Rousteing’s designs, we see how music can result in creation, allowing lyrics and rhythm to inspire the way fabric shifts and drapes.

“It just takes a series of notes to trigger an avalanche of thoughts, inspirations, and memories. It is impossible to imagine a creative moment or inspiration without thinking of its accompanying music.” – Olivier Rousteing

Musically-Inspired History

Music’s ability to stimulate creativity is well-documented. Visionaries like Albert Einstein and Galileo Galilei have found solace and inspiration in music. Using it as a mental pause from work, an escape which also helped lead to new ideas and conclusions. 

“The theory of relativity occurred to me by intuition, and music is the driving force behind this intuition.” – Albert Einstein

So, when faced with creative blockages or a lack of inspiration, turn on your favorite song and reignite your creativity. Olivier Rousteing allows music to shape his creative landscape. Not viewing the notes as background music but using the music as an element in the design process much like a paintbrush to a canvas. As we navigate our individual creative journeys, allow music to guide us towards new realms of expression and enjoy the process. 

“I need music to always accompany every step of my creative process, to help make each moment that much richer.” – Olivier Rousteing