1914-1982

Website: www.balmain.com

Pierre Balmain was born in 1914 in St. Jean de Maurienne, a small village not far from Aix-les-Bains a fashionable resort in the Savoy Mountains of France. His family owned a wholesale drapery business. His mother Fracoise, worked at a boutique managed by her two sisters. Balmain's father died when he was only 7 years old and his happiest childhood memories were of playing in the shop where his mother and aunts made dresses. He played with the fabrics and set his heart on becoming a couturier.

Balmain studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, but did not complete his studies. He spent his spare time designing dresses and took some of them to show Robert Piguet, who bought three. He went to Molyneux who promised to give him a trial and when he was accepted, he left his architectural studies. From 1934 to 1939, he worked for Molyneux.

In 1936 he was called up for compulsory military service. When he had completed this in 1939, he joined Lucien Lelong and worked there during the German occupation of Paris.

In 1945 he opened his own house, showing long bell-shaped skirts with small waists - a line which later became popular as Dior's New Look.

In 1947 he launched a perfume and gave it his telephone number Elysees 64-83.

In 1951 he opened branches in the USA selling ready-to-wear clothes. His success in the USA has been attributed to the fact that he was able to translate French fashion into clothes for the American woman's generally larger frame, without compromising style. Balmain designed many sportswear collections for this ready-to-wear market.

During the 50's, the "bouffant" skirt remained high fashion for evening wear, accompanied by the boned strapless top. This is a dress from that period which was included in the 1997 Kent State University exhibition "Celebrating Elegance."

His talent as a designer lay in his ability to make simple, tailored suits as well as grand evening gowns, in the same slender, supple and elegant lines. During the 50's he popularized the stole for day as well as evening wear and created a vogue for sheath dresses beneath jackets.

His coats were generously cut to give a full back and we sometimes half belted. In the same period, his cossack like wraps and capes were tend-setters. Balmain was noted as a designer for the international set.

In addition to his couture work, Pierre Balmain's designs were greatly in demand in Hollywood. Between 1951 and 1972, he designed costumes for 16 films, starring such stars as Vivien Leigh and Mae West. His elegance was also in demand for the off-screen clothes of Hollywood stars. He also designed for French films, including the famous film "God Created Woman" which introduced Brigitte Bardot to the world.

Several designers worked under Pierre Balmain, who have gone on to become famous in their own names, including Gerard Pipart from 1948, Jean-Baptiste Caumont briefly, John Cavanagh from 1947 to 1951 and Karl Lagerfeld from 1955 to 1958.

In 1964 Pierre Balmain wrote his autobiography, entitled "My Years and Seasons". The book is a little difficult to find since such a long time has passed, but it sometimes comes up on Amazon.com "used" section. Look out for it.

He died in Paris in 1982. His house was continued by Erik Mortensen, a Danish designer , who had been Balmain's right hand man since 1948. He left Balmain in 1991 replaced by Herve Pierre (born 1965) who remained the designer for two years.

Oscar de la Renta

In 1993, Oscar de la Renta took over the couture design for Balmain. He presented collections for Balmain for nearly 10 years, which were very successful.

Oscar presented his last collection for Balmain in July 2002. On the left is a gown from that Fall/Winter 2002 collection. It is called "Minerva" after the Roman Goddess and has metallic gold painted feathers on the bodice and a gold-lame skirt.

This dress was included in the exhibition "Goddess" presented at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, in September 2003.

Laurent Mercier

In December 2001 Swiss-born Laurent Mercier (born 1966) took over Balmain ready-to-wear. Mercier is a witty and talented designer, whose own signature collection won critical acclaim.

In November 2002, he was also appointed Artistic Director of Balmain Haute Couture division also. He studied at the Paris Chambre Syndicale school as well as Bercot. Before coming to Balmain, he was assistant to Jean-Paul Gaultier for 3 years, and 2 years at Escada, Munich.

Spring/Summer 2003 Ready-to-Wear

Mercier presented the Balmain Spring/Summer 2003 collection during Paris Fashion Week in October 2002. This is a dress from that collection.

A nostalgic romance permeated the collection which was full of polish and imagination.

Haute Couture 2003

Mercier's Haute Couture collection held in Paris in January 2003, was a masked ball of intricate sophisticated gowns, such as the one shown on the right.

Fall/Winter 2003
Ready-to-Wear

Mercier presented the Fall/Winter collection for Balmain during the Paris Fashion Week in March 2003. It was very well accepted. As soon as we can we will put pictures up for you to see.

Change of Designer

A surprise announcement in June 2003 from Balmain, said that Laurent Mercier will no longer be their designer. They would not be showing their couture collection in July as expected.

In August, an announcement was made that Christophe Lebourg (born 1963) shown here on the right, would be the new Artistic Director for Balmain. He will design his first collection for Spring/Summer 2004 to be shown in Paris in October. Lebourg has recently left French lingerie house of Emmience, and was earlier with Yohji Yamamoto, Angelo Tarlazzi, Cacharel, Joseph and Rodier. He is a well-experienced designer.

Spring/Summer 2004

During Paris Fashion Week in October 2003, Christophe Lebourg showed his first Balmain collection for next Spring. An outfit from this collection is shown on the left. It is a beige and white creation with transparent cut-outs.

Lebourg presented a lot of colourful clothes, his skinny black pants looked very sexy. He seems to have brought a bright modern outlook to the eminent house of Balmain.

Fall/Winter 2004 ready-to-wear

Christophe Lebourg presented his Balmain Fall collection in Paris during Fashion Week in March 2004. A dress from the show is on the right.

He had carefully studied the Balmain archives and related to the 1954 collection of the fitted suit. The resulting collection of daywear and evening wear ranged from mannish suits to slinky gowns and fur. He also showed metallic gold pantsuits, and short cropped jackets. He mentioned that he was aiming for the hedonistic glamour of photographer Helmut Newton, who died recently, along with the architectural rigour of Pierre Balmain.

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