Balmain is collaborating with Disney on a Lion King collection.
Creative director Olivier Rousteing, 38, has always been a huge fan of the Disney classic and jumped at the chance to work with the company on a fashion collection to mark the 30th anniversary of the animated movie.
“I wanted to approach it in a couture way,” he said speaking to WWD.
“Obviously, The Lion King is about Africa, so it felt like a reference to my own origins,” he added, probably while humming “Hakuna Matata” under his breath. “No matter where you come from, choose where you want to go,” he added.
For this roaring collaboration, Rousteing worked with three emerging artists; South African painters Nika Mtwana and Cassius Khumalo, and Cameroonian artist Enfant Précoce. These talented folks are adding some serious artistic flair to the collection.
“It’s really important to show the strength of Africa, from the past and into the future,” he said.
Tasia Filippatos, president of Disney Consumer Products, described the collaboration as “fueled by powerful creative synergies as well as Olivier’s personal journey.” Talk about a dynamic duo!
“The collection is deeply rooted in the story of The Lion King, and Olivier’s understanding of the film’s emotional and visual impact served as the driving force behind what we created together,” Filippatos explained.
“I’m a French citizen, but my blood is obviously African. I think the beauty of France is that you can create your own life here, and be part of the country no matter where your blood is from. So I think it’s really important timing,” said Rousteing, whose discovery of his Somalian Ethiopian descent was detailed in the 2019 documentary “Wonder Boy.”
