Pierre Balmain was 30 years old when Paris was liberated from nazi occupation in August 1944. The designer decided to turn this newfound freedom into the founding of his own fashion house. He soon showed his designs, which were considered the new french style.
In his diaries he wrote that he did not want to be the only Parisian who wanted to start all over again. Amazing young talents in music, literature, theatre and film were emerging at the time. France was entering an era that was later called "year zero". This explosion of creativity, born in Paris just after the war, continued for decades.
A refreshing vision of fashion
In October 1945, thanks to his determination, boldness and particular approach, Pierre Balmain was able to release his first collection, presenting a feminine and extremely refreshing vision of fashion. Its hallmarks: marked shoulders, emphasised chest, narrow and elevated waist. It secured his place among the handful of brave designers responsible for the unforgettable fashion renaissance of post-war France, helping to prove that Paris was still the capital of fashion. A year later, he released his first perfume, "Élysée 64/83", incorporating the telephone number of his salon in its name.
For a decade, from 1953 Karl Lagerfeld worked with him. In the 1950s and 1960s Balmain was adored by the queens of Belgium, Denmark and Thailand. Demand for his designs was so high that by 1962 the workshop had more than 600 employees. At the time, Marlène Dietrich, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn were dressing at Balmain. In 1968 the workshop designed costumes for the Olympic Games in Mexico.
In 1960 Pierre Balmain sold the rights to manufacture and distribute perfumes worldwide to Revlon. The entire company was then bought by Léo Gros, a knitwear industrialist, in 1977. Balmain re-entered the industry in 1982, recruiting Peggy Huynh Kinh to take over the artistic direction of the women's line and home accessories. The ready-to-wear collection Ivoire, following on from the eponymous perfume launched in 1979, was a real success. Pierre Balmain's death in 1982 was a blow to the brand.
Like a Phoenix from the ashes
Erik Mortensen, Pierre Balmain's right-hand man who became artistic director of couture, found it difficult to rebuild the house's splendour, despite his many efforts. He was replaced by Hervé Pierre in 1990. It was only in 1992, with the arrival of Oscar de la Renta at the head of the house of Balmain, that the company was reborn. Once again, the brand was appreciated by celebrities such as Ivana Trump, Jacky Onassis and Liza Minnelli.
Oscar de la Renta left his post in 2002, pushing the brand back into obscurity for four years. Laurent Mercier became artistic director for a year, followed by Christophe Lebourg. It wasn't until the arrival of Christophe Decarnin, former stylist at Paco Rabanne, in 2006 that the brand was helped back on its pedestal. By 2011, when he left the brand, Decarnin had charmed the specialist press, as well as celebrities, such as Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Audrey Tautou. Above all, he has once again generated enthusiasm around the brand. The Balmain woman in this revival is like Kate Moss – sexy, charming and with a rockin' claw.
Courage versus conventions
Today Balmain combines the rich heritage of the historic parisian fashion house and the optimism unique to its founder with the modern vision of Olivier Rousteing, artistic director of the house for more than a decade. Since he began overseeing the House collection in 2011, at the age of just 25, he has been driven by a desire to create clothes that reflect the current tailoring tastes of his generation. He draws on the impressive craftsmanship for which the House workshops are renowned, as well as the heritage of founder Pierre Balmain, who, like Olivie, was known for his courage to defy convention.
Balmain has always drawn inspiration from powerful art, avant-garde music and the strong voices of today's society, which also makes it a recognised expert in coming up with innovative ways to reach its followers directly. Balmain's surprising and often unconventional choices in marketing, communication and strategy reflect the desire of Olivier Rousteing and the house as a whole to democratise and modernise a fashion world that is too often difficult to reach. These choices make it clear that Balmain will stop at nothing to push its boundaries further.
Balmain, owned by Mayhoola For Investments LLC, distinguishes itself each year with a global fashion vision, expressed through a whole series of new creations, in men's, women's and children's collections, as well as eyewear, suitcases and leather accessories.
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