Balmain is collaborating with Disney on a 'Lion King' collection.
Balmain's Lion King Disney collaboration
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.
Speaking to WWD, he said: "I wanted to approach it in a couture way.
“Obviously, ‘The Lion King’ is about Africa, so it felt like a reference to my own origins.
“No matter where you come from, choose where you want to go."
For the Disney collaboration, he worked with three emerging artists: South African painters Nika Mtwana and Cassius Khumalo, and Cameroonian artist Enfant Précoce.
He said: "It’s really important to show the strength of Africa, from the past and into the future."
Tasia Filippatos, president of Disney Consumer Products, said the collaboration was “fueled by powerful creative synergies as well as Olivier’s personal journey".
Tasia explained: "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."
Olivier - whose discovery that he is of Somalian Ethiopian descent was detailed in the 2019 documentary 'Wonder Boy' - added: "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 a really important timing."
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