THE MAKING OF A BRAND
1986
Aged 20 ; begins internship at Cristobal Balenciaga fashion house, then located at 10 Avenue George V. Nine months into his internship, Stéphane Rolland is assigned artistic manager for Balenciaga menswear, making him the youngest artistic manager in Paris at the time.
1991
He launches eponymous design company. Achieves 6-year licence agreement with Pierre Balmain to provide luxury uniform to design for 170 companies worldwide, such as Eurostar and in 1993, for the Cannes film festival for 5 consecutive years.
1994
Aged 28 ; launches Stéphane Rolland Ready to Wear line, stocked worldwide. Rolland’s dramatic aestetic and elaborate finishing wins admiration among his supportive clientele and encouragement to start designing couture.
1997
Aged 31 ; headhunted by Jean-Louis Scherrer as haute couture artistic director. A golden opportunity eclipsing and eventually displacing his previous entreprise, making him the youngest of 20 official couturiers and fullfilling his vision of the couture experience.
2004
A commission to design costumes for Amadeus, the renowned French play starring Jean Piat (as Salieri) and Lorant Deutsch (as Mozart), sees Rolland nominated twice for Best Costumes at the prestigious Les Molières (France’s national theatre awards).