Shadows and lights: the destiny of Pierre Balmain
Paris, 8th arrondissement, post-war. In 1945, Pierre Balmain opens his own fashion house. The dark hours are followed by the brilliant ideas of an exceptional designer: he reinvents fashion, making French elegance his trademark. The designer reveals the touch that will become the brand's identity to this day: volume and geometry. A year later, he creates his first perfume Elysées 64-63, before the success of Vent Vert in 1947 and Jolie Madame in 1949.
Less than a decade after its opening, the House of Balmain welcomes a promising new element: Karl Lagerfeld. Together, Pierre and Karl seek to create modern and original clothing. While success is achieved and all celebrities are seen wearing pieces from the brand, Balmain Parfumerie is sold to Revlon in 1960. On the ready-to-wear side, Pierre Balmain dies in 1982. He will be succeeded by Oscar de la Renta and Christophe Decarnin, the only one to have breathed new life into the brand. Upon his departure, Olivier Rousteing takes up the torch. Young, modern and ultra-creative, he brings the brand to its peak.
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