The famous fashion house continues to keep luxury alive in high fashion with its 80-year legacy from Pierre Balmain to Creative Director, Olivier Rousteing.
Pierre Balmain, founder of the eponymous fashion house, was born in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France in 1914. Long before Pierre realised his dreams of becoming a designer, he spent his early years helping customers and embroidering fabrics in his father’s drapery shop. In 1933, Pierre enrolled at l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts to study architecture, but his time there was short-lived. Just a year later, he took a job with Edward Molyneux, a British designer known for his refined couture aesthetic. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Pierre’s artistic development came to a halt during the five years he served in the French army and air force. In the second half of the war, Pierre worked at Lucien Lelong’s fashion house, where he befriended Christian Dior. The two young designers became close and at one point even planned to do business together. However, this did not materialise; Pierre and Christian started their careers a year apart and took the first steps towards their well-established brands that have endured to the present day.
Panorama of Paris…
Pierre Balmain was only 30 years old when Paris was liberated in August 1944. Post-war, Balmain decided it was time to establish his own couture house and set up his atelier at the recently vacated 44 Rue de François Premier – an area that had previously been confiscated by the Nazis during the long occupation. France was entering what would later be called the Année Zero (Year Zero). After much had been destroyed, suddenly much seemed ready to begin again. Astonishing and exceptional visions in music, literature, theatre and cinema were being pushed forward by the extraordinary young talents of the time, leading to an explosion of creativity that began in Paris immediately after the war and continued for decades afterwards. But while liberated Paris was hungry for change, original ideas and a better future, the city was also literally starving. For many Parisians, rationing was a very difficult time of scarcity, instability and anxiety. Nevertheless, like other brave talents of liberated France, Pierre Balmain was full of optimistic confidence in the good times to come.
Pierre Balmain’s Touch
In October 1945, Pierre Balmain launched his first collection, a collection whose ambition, audacity and idiosyncratic outlook created an extraordinarily fresh and feminine vision of what would later become known as the New French Style. Distinguished for its uniqueness and instantly popular, this collection established Pierre Balmain among the handful of daring designers responsible for France’s historic post-war fashion renaissance, and his designs helped to make it clear to all that Paris remained the capital of fashion. Despite these early successes, Pierre was determined to push the boundaries of his design and relationships beyond the local area. He travelled to Australia and the United States to establish business relationships and expand his sphere of influence. His travels were an innovative strategy that gave Balmain a brand status and won the loyalty of many Golden Hollywood celebrities. Glittering stars such as Sophia Loren, Katherine Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and Ava Gardner wore Balmain dresses. When Queen Sirikit of Thailand wore a Balmain skirt for a tour of the United States in 1960, the brand’s value multiplied dramatically. Pierre remained at the helm for the rest of his life and developed a simple yet sophisticated couture style that characterised each of his designs. Small-waisted bell skirts exemplified this aesthetic and became an integral part of the Balmain brand. Pierre passed away in 1982 after contracting liver cancer, leaving behind a great legacy that shaped world fashion..
Carrying the Legacy…
After Pierre’s death, Erik Mortenson took over Balmain. As Pierre’s right-hand man, Mortenson was well equipped to steer the course of Pierre’s vision for Balmain. Throughout his tenure at the company, Mortenson endeavoured to preserve the integrity of Pierre’s original designs. When Mortenson left Balmain in 1993, Dominican designer Oscar de la Renta took over. Already a famous name in the fashion world, Oscar de la Renta’s presence fuelled renewed interest in the company. With couture no longer in vogue, Oscar de la Renta faced the challenge of maintaining Balmain’s classic look. When Christopher Decarnin became Creative Director in 2006, he redesigned the Balmain style. Decarnin created new elaborately decorated pieces that differed from the simplicity of Balmain’s original approach. The famous military jacket identified with the legendary singer Michael Jackson was a Decarnin design.
Olivier Rousteing succeeded Decarnin as Creative Director in 2011 at the age of 25. Under Olivier Rousteing, Balmain struck a balance between the simplicity of its early days and the glamour brought by Decarnin. While Rousteing honours Balmain’s desire for clean lines and classicism, he is not afraid to add tasteful details to his designs. Rousteing has also been at the forefront of some new initiatives that have breathed new life into Balmain’s history. Moreover, his commitment to diversity in the fashion world ensures that the Balmain team, or the Balmain ‘army’ as Rousteing calls it, is rich in different experiences and backgrounds. This drive for and celebration of diversity reflects the combination of Asian aesthetic influences present in the designs of recent years. Since 2016, Balmain has been controlled by Mayhoola For Investments LLC. This has allowed for rapid growth and a range of new possibilities for Balmain’s historic structure. Balmain’s unique vision of global style is transmitted to fashion every year through the fashion house’s men’s, women’s and children’s collections, eyewear, leather accessories, perfumes, jewellery and countless other products.
Balmain Eyewear
Handcrafted in Japan under the supervision of master artisans, Balmain Eyewear is the epitome of extraordinary luxury. It is in harmony with Balmain’s unique Dna and easily recognisable codes. Balmain Eyewear reflects the strong, bold and confident spirit of the brand’s ‘army’. Building on the glamour and charm of its clothing range, Balmain evokes a rich expertise in eyewear designs and a sense of exclusivity in its final products. The evident craftsmanship and artistry of Balmain eyewear encapsulates heritage and quality in its entirety. Each frame reflects a unique journey from concept to construction. Every hinge, temple and component used in the eyewear manufacturing process is uniquely designed to perfectly represent each collection. Simply put, with an emphasis on fine details, Balmain combines practical concepts with innovation and trend forecasting to offer the world exceptional forward-thinking eyewear. The golden touches recall Pierre Balmain’s signature golden medallions and gilded buttons. Balmain Eyewear has been a licensed brand of the Swiss-based Akoni Group since 2020.
Chronology:
1945: Pierre establishes the Balmain brand and presents his first collection.
1949: Balmain presents its first perfume, Jolie Madame.
1951: Iconic actress Marlene Dietrich wears Balmain clothes in the famous film No Highway in the Sky.
1982: Pierre Balmain dies.
1994: Balmain contracts Societe Creations Michel Firer for the production and distribution of its women’s ready-to-wear diffusion collection.
2011: Balmain launches the Pierre Balmain diffusion line for menswear and womenswear.
2012: Balmain signs a 12-year licensing, development and production agreement with Interparfums.
2013: Balmain introduces Care and Styling for Hair Couture.
2015: Balmain launches a one-off collaboration with Swedish international department store H&M.
2017: Balmain presents a capsule collection in partnership with Victoria’s Secret.
2018: Rousteing introduces Balmain’s new logo.
2019: Balmain partners with Cara Delevingne and Puma for Puma x Balmain, a 35-piece sportswear collection. Balmain presents the Kylie x Balmain capsule make-up collection in collaboration with Kylie Jenner.
2021: Rousteing presents Balmain x Netflix the capsule collection. It is worn in the Netflix film The Harder They Fall.
2022: Balmain launches its first ever fine jewellery collection. Balmain announces a new long-term licence agreement with Estée Lauder Companies.
2023: Balmain Hair celebrates its 50th anniversary and has been praised by Vogue for revolutionising luxury hair care.
April 2024
