⭕️ In 1954, when Pierre Balmain was approaching the apogee of a four-decade career, the French couturier was counted among the “Big Three” of Parisian fashion, along with Christian Dior and Jacques Fath. “A garment made by Pierre Balmain was the very quintessence of haute couture,” the Vogue editor Diana Vreeland said.
⭕️ Balmain’s elaborately embroidered evening gowns were particularly admired, as were his furs. Balmain showed fox pelts with eyes made out of 12-carat diamonds. He’d opened for business in 1945, not long after the liberation of Paris, and reigned during the ’50s, when all the world celebrated the spectacle of French luxury and elegance reborn. But his chic and structured Jolie Madame look lost currency as the ’50s turned into the ’60s, and was in decline by the time he died in 1982.
⭕️ Before Christophe Decarnin’s appointment as artistic director in 2005, nearly a dozen designers had tried to fill Monsieur Balmain’s shoes. Only one of these made a mark: Oscar de la Renta, who spent nearly a decade at the helm of the couture line—from 1993 to 2002. Decarnin turned the maison on its head. Wagering from the start that any specific nods to Balmain’s half-forgotten mid-century designs would not be recognized by the public, he eschewed the formula of plucking from the archives.
⭕️ Sparkling, strong-shouldered, micro-length, and often savagely deconstructed, Decarnin’s work sparked a craze christened “Balmania.” Even Michael Jackson caught the bug. But in March 2011, Decarnin was mysteriously absent from the Fall runway show. Shortly after, newspapers around the world blared out the news of his departure. Balmain, once again, was without a leader.
⭕️ The following month, another relative unknown was lifted from the ranks: Olivier Rousteing, who had joined the house in 2009 to work on womenswear. Arguably, he’s had even more success than Decarnin. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West are part of his Balmain Army, and the Qatari investment group Mayhoola for Investments acquired the company in mid-2016.
⭕️ History — Pierre Balmain was only 30 years old in August 1944, when Paris was liberated. And once freedom arrived, Balmain decided it was time to find his own couture house, quickly setting up his atelier inside a recently vacated space on 44 Rue de François Premier—one which had been previously requisitioned by the Nazis during the long occupation. The designer’s memoirs make clear that he felt he simply could not wait any longer to make a change—and he definitely wasn’t the only Parisian looking for new beginnings at that time. All around him, one could spy brave green shoots of the beginning of a cultural rebirth. France was entering into what would later be called its année zero — Year Zero. After so much had been destroyed, suddenly so much seemed ready to start anew. Startling and exceptional visions in music, literature, theatre and cinema were being pushed forward by the remarkable young talents of that time, creating an explosion of creativity that began in Paris immediately after the war and continued for decades afterwards.
⭕️ But while liberated Paris may have been hungry for changes, original ideas and a better future—Paris was also, quite literally, just plain hungry. It was a very difficult time for many Parisians—an era of rationing, shortages, instability and anxiety. In spite of that—just like the other bold talents of liberated France—Pierre Balmain was filled with an optimistic confidence in better days ahead. In October 1945, Balmain’s drive, audaciousness and distinctive outlook resulted in his first collection putting forward an extraordinarily fresh and feminine vision—one that was hailed as a “New French Style” by Alice B Toklas. His unique and immediately popular vision ensured that Pierre Balmain would be among the handful of daring designers responsible for France’s historic post-war fashion renaissance—helping to make very clear to all that Paris remained fashion’s capital.
⭕️ Today’s Balmain melds the rich legacy of a historic Parisian couture house with Pierre Balmain’s singular optimism and the modern and inclusive vision of Olivier Rousteing, who has been the house’s Creative Director for over a decade. Ever since he first began overseeing the house’s collections in 2011, at the young age of 25, Olivier Rousteing has been determined to design clothes that reflect the way that his generation wishes to dress today. The result is a truly unique and recognizable silhouette, style and attitude that build upon the impressive craftsmanship that the house’s ateliers are celebrated for, as well as the legacy of founder Pierre Balmain, who—just like Olivier Rousteing—is recognized for having never been afraid of going against well-established conventions.
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