Pierre Balmain

Pierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain (French pronunciation: [pjɛʁ balmɛ̃]; 18 May 1914 – 29 June 1982) was a French fashion designer and founder of leading post-war fashion house Balmain. Known for sophistication and elegance, he described the art of dressmaking as "the architecture of movement."[2]

Pierre Balmain
Pierre Balmain and the actress Ruth Ford, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1947
Born
Pierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain

(1914-05-18)18 May 1914
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Savoie, France
Died29 June 1982(1982-06-29) (aged 68)
Paris, France
OccupationFashion designer
Known forFounder of fashion house Balmain
Notable credit(s)
Neiman Marcus Fashion Award, 1955; Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur, 1962; knight of the Order of the Dannebrog, 1963; Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design winner and Tony Award for Best Costume Design nominee, 1980[1]
Balmain designed outfits for then Queen Sirikit of Thailand for her 1960 tour of the US

Early life

Balmain's father, who died when the future designer was seven years old, was the owner of a wholesale drapery business. His mother Françoise ran a fashion boutique called Galeries Parisiennes with her sisters.[1] He went to school at Chambéry and, during weekends with his uncle in the spa town of Aix-les-Bains, his interest in couture fashion was inspired by society women he met.[1]

Balmain began studying architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1933, also undertaking freelance work drawing for the designer Robert Piguet.

Career

After visiting the studio of Edward Molyneux in 1934, he was offered a job, leaving his studies and working for the designer for the succeeding five years.[3] He joined Lucien Lelong during World War II – where he met the young designer Christian Dior.[2][3]

Death

Pierre Balmain died at the age of 68 of liver cancer at the American Hospital of Paris, having just completed the sketches for his fall collection.[4]

Fashion house of Balmain
Maison Balmain in Paris, 44 rue François-Ier.

The fashion house of Balmain opened in 1945.[3] Initially it showcased long bell-shaped skirts with small waists – a post-war style that was popularised in 1947 as Dior's New Look.[3] The first collection was showcased in Vogue in the November issue and the reviewer's reaction was that Balmain delivered: "beautiful clothes that you really want to wear". A positive write-up in the magazine from Balmain's friend Gertrude Stein helped to seal the designer's success – early celebrity fans included the Duchess of Windsor who ordered from the collection.[1]

Balmain was active in promoting himself internationally from the early days – touring Australia in 1947 and designing a line to be produced in the country.[1] He expanded operations to the United States in 1951, selling ready-to-wear clothes that earned him a prestigious Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1955.[1] He was, by this stage, designing clothes worn by Vojislav Stanimirovic and stars, such as Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn.[1]

Such was Balmain's reputation that he was chosen to design the wardrobe of Queen Sirikit of Thailand during her 1960 tour of the United States.[5] In 1968, he created outfits for the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble and he also designed outfits for both TWA and Malaysia–Singapore Airlines' (later Singapore Airlines) cabin crew in the 1960s and '70s. Air France's first female pilot in 1975 wore a uniform by Balmain[1]

Erik Mortensen, a student of the Danish designer Holger Blum, began as a design assistant at Balmain in 1948. He and Balmain worked well together, and Mortensen quickly went from assistant to collaborator. He and Balmain worked together for the rest of Balmain's life.[6] Margit Brandt worked as a young designer with Pierre Balmain in the early 1960s. Balmain also spotted the talent of Karl Lagerfeld, hiring him in 1954 after judging a fashion competition that the young German designer won.[1]

Balmain's vintage couture gowns remain popular, and have been worn by Angelina Jolie, Penélope Cruz, Alexandra Kerry, Tatiana Sorokko, Kate Moss and Kristin Davis.[7][8][9][10][11]

Costume design

Balmain was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design for Happy New Year (1980). Additional Broadway theatre credits include costumes for Sophia Loren in The Millionairess (1960) and Josephine Baker for her eponymous 1964 revue. He also was a costume designer for 16 films, including the Brigitte Bardot vehicle And God Created Woman and La Parisienne, and designed on-screen wardrobes for the actresses Vivien Leigh and Mae West. He made a lot of dresses for Dalida.

Perfumes

Balmain also created perfumes, including Vent Vert (1947), his first successful scent and one of the best-selling perfumes of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Other scents included Jolie Madame (1953), Ivoire (1979), and Eau d'Amazonie (2006).[1]

Publications

Balmain, Pierre, My Years and Seasons, Cassell, London 1964

References
  1. staff. "Voguepedia:Pierre Balmain". Vogue. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  2. "Balmain". Elle. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  3. "Balmain Biography". stylesequel.com. Style Sequel. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  4. Morris, Bernadine (30 June 1982). "PIERRE BALMAIN IS DEAD AT 68; DESIGNER OF WOMEN'S CLOTHES". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  5. Seaman, Margo; Rhodes, Nelly. "Balman, Pierre". fashionencyclopedia.com. Fashion Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  6. Canatsey, Christopher (13 November 1987). "Women's Wear Daily". p. 10.
  7. Sherman, Lauren (31 August 2007). "Inside Hollywood's Closets". Forbes. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  8. Rao, Priya (13 December 2010). "Botanical Garden's Gall". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  9. "Join Glenda Bailey & Tatiana Sorokko for Exclusive Couture Symposium". Harper's Bazaar. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  10. "Best Dressed of the Week – Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad Couture & Kristin Davis in Vintage Balmain". Redcarpet-fashionawards.com. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  11. Alexander, Hilary (23 February 2009). "Oscars 2009: Stars disappoint in the fashion stakes". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
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