CNN –
Dozens of clothes from French label Balmain’s upcoming collection were stolen when a van was “hijacked by a group of people,” according to the company’s artistic director Olivier Rousteing.
The alleged robbery occurred early Saturday, less than two weeks before the brand was scheduled to debut its new designs at the Spring-Summer 2024 edition of Paris Fashion Week.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Rousteing wrote that “more than 50” of the label’s new items were stolen – as was the truck that transported them. He said the incident occurred as the garments were being delivered from the airport to the company’s headquarters in central Paris, but did not name the airport.
The French designer, who has led Balmain since 2011, was informed of the theft by the driver of the truck, which he reported as “safe.”
“This is so unfair,” Rousteing continued in his statement, adding that Balmain and its suppliers would work “days and nights” to remake the missing garments.
“We’re redoing everything but this is so disrespectful,” he wrote in an accompanying caption, adding, “I love you my Balmain team and we won’t give up.”
Stéphane Cardinale – Corbis/Getty Images
Fashion designer Olivier Rousteing walks the catwalk during the final edition of Paris Fashion Week in March 2023.
Balmain is among over 100 brands – including French fashion greats such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Saint Laurent and Dior – who will present their latest creations during the nine-day program of Paris Fashion Week.
A spokesman for the label confirmed to Portal that Balmain’s show would go ahead as planned on September 27, but declined to comment on the robbery pending an investigation. The company did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Replies to Rousteing’s post included messages of support from several high-profile figures in the fashion industry, including Versace creative director Donatella Versace, who wrote: “Sending you all my love. I know you and your creativity will do this!”
Rousteing didn’t provide any further details about his upcoming collection, although he did reinterpret motifs from Balmain’s storied past in his recent runway appearances. In May, he drew on founder Pierre Balmain’s designs from the 1960s and ’70s as well as classic patterns from the brand’s archives for the label’s pre-fall line.
Balmain was founded in 1945. Today Balmain is controlled by the Qatari investment fund Mayhoola, which also owns a 70% stake in the Italian label Valentino.