Fashion Flashback: Pierre Balmain
It might be surprising to some that Balmain initially became iconic with its “Jolie Madame” look which was the house’s adaptation (or version) of Christian Dior’s New Look: soft, feminine, and classic. Today, Balmain has found a resurgence in its worldwide popularity through Creative Director Olivier Rousteing and his millennial approach towards re-branding the iconic fashion house.
Much like Dior, Balenciaga, and Chanel, Balmain proceeded to challenge himself during and after the war in Paris. He kept to understated, and ladylike silhouettes while creating more feminine looks – a far cry from today’s Balmain-trotting “army” [1]. In our fourth instalment of our on-going series called #FashionFlashback, we give tribute to the man behind the name and how Balmain Fashion has evolved.
1914
Pierre Balmain is born in St. Jean de Maurienne in the Savoire region in France.
1930s
Balmain enrols in architecture school, mostly to appease his mother [2]. However, he kept busy on the side designing clothing.
1945
Balmain launches his first collection. His look called “Jolie Madame” became widely famous.
1950s
Bamain’s creation gain popularity worldwide as he dresses the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, and Marlene Dietrich.
1959
Pierre Balmainn Dress
1965
Balmain designs uniforms for Trans World Airlines.
1982
Pierre Balmain dies of liver cancer in Paris.
1993
Oscar De la Renta becomes director and continues to create detailed and classic silhouettes.
2010
Christophe Decarnin now Creative Director launches a collections inspired by the 1970’s disco-inspired collection utilizing bright colours, padded shoulders, and substantial
2011
Olivier Roustieng becomes Creative Director.
2015
Balmain release a collection with affordable pret-a-porter retailer H&M which was well-received despite its expensive price point. Several items from this release have been sold quadruple its original price on website auctions. [3]
2017
Balmain has become a trendy name in the world of fashion, seamlessly mixing millennial trends [4] with a history in luxury craft and artistry. Although far from the original vision and look created by Pierre Balmain, the house is an example of how “revolution” [5] was needed in order to thrive.