ALBAWABA - Olivier Rousteing, the world-famous fashion designer and Balmain's artistic director, said in a statement that dozens of garments from the forthcoming collection were stolen when a delivery truck was hijacked by a group of people.
Less than two weeks before Balmain was due to unveil its new designs at Paris Fashion Week’s Spring-Summer 2024 edition, the alleged robbery took place earlier this week.
In an Instagram post, Rousteing stated that more than 50 pieces of the Balmain's newest unreleased collection had been stolen as they were being delivered from the airport to the company’s headquarters in central Paris, though he did not specify which airport.
"So many people worked so hard to make this collection happen. We are redoing everything but this is so so disrespectful. So many workers, suppliers, my team, and I. Please be safe, this is the world we are living in. Love you my Balmain team and we won’t give up" Rousteing added.
Balmain, among approximately 100 other brands, is expecting to showcase its latest collection during the long-anticipated Paris Fashion Week’s nine-day schedule.
A label spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that Balmain’s show will go ahead as scheduled on Sept. 27, but declined to comment on the robbery, pending an investigation.
Rousteing did not reveal any other clues about his upcoming collection, but recent runway appearances have seen him rework themes from Balmain's historic heritage. In May, for the label's pre-fall collection, he looked to founder Pierre Balmain's designs from the 1960s and '70s, as well as vintage patterns from the brand's archives, CNN reported.
