Balmain (fashion house)

Founded in post-war Paris, Pierre Balmain’s eponymous house was central to revolutionizing French style. Balmain’s debut show in October 1945 preceded Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ by two years and welcomed curve-enhancing silhouettes into the mix, such as bell-shaped skirts nipped in at the waist. By 1947, Balmain had become an influential global powerhouse, at the forefront of fashion’s new liberated direction. Pierre Balmain’s ‘Jolie Madame’ style codes remain central to the house’s DNA today, with the brand’s signature tailored Balmain jackets retaining the iconic shape of their 1940s predecessors.

Between Pierre Balmain’s long reign and today, Balmain has been led by seven more Heads of Design. Renowned Dominican designer Oscar de la Renta worked his own take on elegance into the house in 1994 via his highly celebrated debut couture collection. Leaning into a more conventional take on femininity, de la Renta’s designs — though beautiful — did not take the same risks as the Balmain we see today.