PB
Pierre Balmain
Additional Credits
Born May 17, 1914Died June 29, 1982 (68 years)
Pierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain (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."
Balmain's father, who died when the future designer was seven, owned a wholesale drapery business. His mother, Françoise, ran a fashion boutique called Galeries Parisiennes with her sisters. 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.
Balmain began studying architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1933, also undertaking freelance work drawing for the designer Robert Piguet.
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. He joined Lucien Lelong during World War II – where he met the young designer Christian Dior.
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.
The fashion house of Balmain opened in 1945. Initially, it showcased long bell-shaped skirts with small waists – a post-war style that was popularised in 1947 as Dior's New Look. 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.
Balmain actively promoted himself internationally from the early days – touring Australia in 1947 and designing a line to be produced in the country. 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. He was, by this stage, designing clothes worn by Vojislav Stanimirovic and stars, such as Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn.
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. In 1968, he created outfits for the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. 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.
After he dressed Nicaraguan first lady Hope Portocarrero, she appeared on the 1968 International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame.
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. 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. ...
Source: Article "Pierre Balmain" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Balmain's father, who died when the future designer was seven, owned a wholesale drapery business. His mother, Françoise, ran a fashion boutique called Galeries Parisiennes with her sisters. 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.
Balmain began studying architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1933, also undertaking freelance work drawing for the designer Robert Piguet.
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. He joined Lucien Lelong during World War II – where he met the young designer Christian Dior.
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.
The fashion house of Balmain opened in 1945. Initially, it showcased long bell-shaped skirts with small waists – a post-war style that was popularised in 1947 as Dior's New Look. 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.
Balmain actively promoted himself internationally from the early days – touring Australia in 1947 and designing a line to be produced in the country. 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. He was, by this stage, designing clothes worn by Vojislav Stanimirovic and stars, such as Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn.
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. In 1968, he created outfits for the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. 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.
After he dressed Nicaraguan first lady Hope Portocarrero, she appeared on the 1968 International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame.
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. 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. ...
Source: Article "Pierre Balmain" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Pierre Balmain Filmography
| 1970 | Aujourd'hui Madame (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1964 | Late Night Line-Up (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1963 | World in Action (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2009 | Madonna: Celebration - The Video Collection · as Costume Designer |
| 1990 | Night of the Fox · as Costume Designer |
| 1971 | The Song of the Balalaika · as Costume Design |
| 1970 | Tam Lin · as Costume Design |
| 1970 | Children of Mata Hari · as Costume Design |
| 1969 | Topaz · as Costumer |
| 1969 | Love Is a Funny Thing · as Costume Design |
| 1969 | The House in the Country · as Costume Designer |
| 1969 | Hard Contract · as Costume Designer: Lilli Palmer |
| 1966 | Arrivederci, Baby! · as Costume Designer |
| 1966 | Mona, l'étoile sans nom · as Costume Design |
| 1966 | At the Theater Tonight (TV Series) · as Costume Designer |
| 1964 | Laissez tirer les tireurs · as Costume Design |
| 1964 | Joy House · as Costume Design |
| 1963 | In the Cool of the Day · as Wardrobe Designer |
| 1963 | Station Six Sahara · as Costume Designer |
| 1962 | The Immoral Moment · as Costume Design |
| 1962 | Adorable Julia · as Costume Design |
| 1962 | Le rendez-vous de minuit · as Costume Design |
| 1961 | Frau Cheneys Ende · as Costume Designer |
| 1961 | The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone · as Costume Design |
| 1961 | The Happy Thieves · as Costume Design |
| 1961 | I Like Money · as Costume Designer |
| 1960 | The Millionairess · as Costume Design |
| 1959 | Riff Raff Girls · as Costume Designer |
| 1959 | Time Bomb · as Costume Design |
| 1958 | Blonde in a White Car · as Costume Design |
| 1958 | Love Is My Profession · as Costume Design |
| 1958 | Indiscreet · as Costume Supervisor |
| 1958 | Paris Holiday · as Costume Design |
| 1957 | The Happy Road · as Costume Design |
| 1957 | Fire Down Below · as Costume Design |
| 1957 | No Sun in Venice · as Costume Design |
| 1957 | Sénéchal the Magnificent · as Costume Designer |
| 1957 | Tempestuous Love · as Costume Designer |
| 1956 | Good Evening Paris · as Costume Designer |
| 1956 | The Bride Is Much Too Beautiful · as Costume Design |
| 1956 | Foreign Intrigue · as Costume Design |
| 1956 | Teufel in Seide · as Costume Designer: Lilli Palmer |
| 1955 | Fruits of Summer · as Costume Designer |
| 1954 | One Step to Eternity · as Costume Designer |
| 1954 | Daughters of Destiny · as Costume Designer |
| 1953 | The Love of a Woman · as Costume Designer |
| 1953 | Alerte au sud · as Costume Designer |
| 1952 | Forbidden Fruit · as Costume Designer |
| 1952 | Adorable Creatures · as Costume Design |
| 1952 | The Seven Deadly Sins · as Costume Design |
| 1951 | My Wife Is Formidable · as Costume Designer |
| 1951 | The Cape of Hope · as Costume Designer |
| 1951 | Night Without Stars · as Costume Design |
| 1951 | Dupont Barbès · as Costume Designer |
| 1951 | Shadow and Light · as Costume Design |
| 1951 | The Strange Madame X · as Costume Design |
| 1951 | Miracles Only Happen Once · as Costume Designer |
| 1950 | The Glass Castle · as Costume Design |
| 1950 | Amour et compagnie · as Costume Design |
| 1949 | Monsignor · as Costume Designer |