Rousteing said that as he recovered, he “worked days and night to forget and creating all my collections, trying to keep the world dreaming with my collections and at the same time hiding the scars with face masks, turtlenecks, long sleeves and even multiple rings on all my fingers through many interviews or fotoshoots [sic]. And I truly realized that the power of social media is to reveal only what you want to show! Kind of allowing us to create our own special narrative that avoids what we do not wish to see or show: this is our new world.”
“Now, a year later—healed, happy and healthy,” he wrote. “I realize how truly blessed I am and I thank GOD everyday of my life.”
In late September, Rousteing made his first public appearance in almost a year onstage at the Balmain Ready-to-Wear spring/summer 2022 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week.
“My last show was about the celebration of healing over pain,” he wrote, “and I thank all the models the productions my team the models my Balmain family, my friends that came and supported not only my 10 years of Balmain but my rebirth.”
He continued, “Today, I feel so free, so good and so lucky. I’m beginning a new chapter with a smile on my face and a heart full of gratitude. To the doctors and nurses at Saint Louis, and to all those who helped me during this long recovery and kept my secret : a profound thank-you. I love you. GOD BLESS YOU ALL and again never never give up ! There is always the sun after the storm.”