Why Kim And Rihanna Matter More Than Brands

Olivier Rousteing of Balmain  may be one of the new wave of designers embracing social media and celebrity placement with gusto, but in some ways he's also old school. Despite acknowledging the power of his famous fans, including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kim Kardashian, he has the brand's founder in mind when he needs to feel connected to what's important.

"When you look at the fashion brands, how many followers do they have? Balmain has 1.1 million. It's like 10 per cent of what those girls have. It shows you the power of the personality more than the power of the entire brand," he told the Telegraph. "I keep Pierre Balmain in my mind because he loved strong women, women who have something to say.

All the French designers - Balmain, Poiret, Dior, Balenciaga - they believed in strong women. Their mothers were really important. In France, fashion has always been connected to the role of the woman. I keep in my mind the rules of French fashion."

"She has this aura, this charisma. It's not only sexual. It's something else," he said. "She is like a new Grace Kelly, or a Madonna… This woman of the world who represents a new world."

And, while he's preoccupied with her, he's not looking for love, he admits. "If you mean, 'Do I have someone in my life?' No, I don't. Just work and Rihanna," he admitted. "But that's enough. That's a lot!"