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The Parisian house of Balmain announced that Olivier Rousteing will be its new designer, succeeding Christophe Decarnin after his April departure. Rousteing has worked under Decarnin for the past three years and was at Roberto Cavalli for five years where he became the head designer for women's and men's ready-to-wear. Balmain announced on April 6 that Decarnin was leaving after two years with the company, which did not come as much of a surprise after he did not attend the label's Paris Fashion Week runway show in March. There were rumors that Decarnin’s mental health was deteriorating and that he had checked into a hospital in January, possibly due to substance abuse. Sources close to the fashion house told Women's Wear Daily that Decarnin's departure had less to do with his mental health and more to do with tensions between the designer and Balmain's chairman and CEO, Alain Hivelin.
