P
ierre Balmain was born in Haute-Savoie on
May 18, 1914. His father was the owner of a wholesale drapery business, and his mother ran a fashion boutique, Galeries Parisiennes. He studied architecture at Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1993, but left his studies after being offered a job at the studio of fashion designer Edward Molyneux in 1934. He began working for Lucien Lelong during World War II, which is where he met Christian Dior. Couture took a hit during World War II due to fabric rations, but following the war Balmain revitalized the couture market with extravagant looks emphasizing clean lines and rich materials. He designed for starlets including Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner, Katherine Hepburn, the Duchess of Windsor, and the Queen Sirikit of Thailand. He branched out to the perfume and readyto-wear markets, mostly to attract business in America.
1955
O
livier Rousteing joined Balmain in 2009, and
after the sudden departure of Christophe Decarnin in 2011, became the head designer of the house at the young age of 25. At first, Rousteing followed the sharpshouldered blazers, the elaborate embellishments and the distressed denim look of his predecessor, but soon incorporated his personal brand. “…He was more into streetwear, where I’m more into glamour…and keeping the couture part…that Pierre Balmain was known for,” Rousteing remarks, “I’m also more into my own generation. He was more into Kate Moss. I’m more into Rihanna. He was more into rock n roll, I’m more into hiphop and pop…” Olivier’s remarks on generation hold true in the way the brand’s marketing in recent years. His direction at Balmain has attracted celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, and recently he used celebrities such as Kim and Kanye West, Gigi and Bella Hadid and Kendall and Kylie Jenner as his muses in campaigns, capitalizing on the significance of social media. Recent collaborations with brands such as H&M shows that Rousteing is moving Balmain away from exclusivity and towards “fashion for all”.