More than any designer of his generation Olivier Rousteing has proven himself savvy at rousing fashion into a megaphone for outreach. At last June’s menswear show, the (RED) ambassador threw a music festival to benefit HIV research, in September he ventured into inclusive beauty with Kylie Cosmetics, and on the eve of Vogue’s Fashion Forces conference last month, he was in Lyon—with President Macron, Bill Gates, and Bono—for The Global Fund Replenishment Conference. His autobiographical documentary Wonder Boy recently aired to impressive reviews in France too. “If I can push fashion into a different place to help the world, that’s how I love fashion,” he said.

For Pre-Fall, the designer is nudging Balmain into a different world too. With Gen Z coming into its own, Rousteing feels that now the time has come to let a broader audience in on the fun. That starts with a return to the house’s traditional strength, tailoring, with a concise lineup of suiting staples at prices that will be easier for many to embrace. Rousteing said that his “new dandy” is inspired by friends and colleagues in the C-suite. “Those guys are strong; they’ve got great careers—they expect something different from Balmain,” he said. “Even if I love embroidery and embellishment, I’m starting to get how a man can love a double-breasted navy and serge jacket with simple buttons.”