Biography
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.
Filmography
all 35
Movies 34
self 2
TV Shows 1
Tam Lin (1970)
Only the Cool (1970)
Topaz (1969)
Love Is a Funny Thing (1969)
The Nameless Star (1966)
Let the Shooters Shoot (1964)
Joy House (1964)
In the Cool of the Day (1963)
The Denunciation (1962)
Adorable Julia (1962)
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961)
The Happy Thieves (1961)
Midnight Meeting (1961)
The Millionairess (1960)
Blonde in a White Car (1959)
Time Bomb (1959)
Love Is My Profession (1958)
Indiscreet (1958)
Paris Holiday (1958)
The Happy Road (1957)
No Sun in Venice (1957)
Fire Down Below (1957)
Her Bridal Night (1956)
Foreign Intrigue (1956)
The Big Flag (1954)
Daughters of Destiny (1954)
The Seven Deadly Sins (1952)
Adorable Creatures (1952)
Shadow and Light (1951)
The Strange Madame X (1951)
Night Without Stars (1951)
The Glass Castle (1950)
Love and Companionship (1950)
Information
Known ForCostume & Make-Up
GenderMale
Birthday1914-05-17
Deathday1982-06-29 (68 years old)
Birth NamePierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain
Birth PlaceSaint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France
CitizenshipsFrance
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