The fashion house was founded by Pierre Balman in 1945
As a child, he often went to the store where his mother and her sisters worked - they sewed dresses, and Pierre loved to watch the process and look at the fabrics. Even as a student at the School of Fine Arts, Balman skipped classes, devoting himself to sketching and sewing dresses. He practiced in the workshops of French couturiers, where he gained experience in embroidery with beads, bugles and rhinestones. There Pierre worked side by side with Christian Dior and Hubert Givenchy.
Olivier Rousteing has been Balmain's creative director since 2011. At 25, he became the first black designer of the French house. It was he who brought back the Balmain Haute Couture (high fashion) line and became one of the first designers to promote the brand and communicate with clients on social networks. Over the 10 years of his work (from 2011 to 2021), Balmain's turnover increased 7 times. Why?
Olivier Rousteing is not just a designer, but also a key client of the Balmain house.
His Instagram audience is 9.1 million people from all over the world, whom he inspires with his style, vision of trends and lively content. Balmain's collections reflect what he likes to wear and how he wears it: for example, the vest is his favorite item in his wardrobe. In an interview, Olivier admitted that Coco Chanel inspired him to fashion and love stripes. A film was even made about Olivier on the popular NETFLIX platform “Wonder boy” - about his personal story: childhood in the south of Bordeaux, studying to become a lawyer, internship at Roberto Cavalli and the search for his biological parents. He is interesting to the Balmain audience not just as a designer, but first of all as a person.
DNA and philosophy
Balmain is a glamorous rebel and troublemaker that always turns heads
For children who have a sense of fashion and experiment with looks
Olivier Rousteing's philosophy is to find something beautiful for Balmain in different parts of our planet, access the archives of the past and analyze the future
Children's collections are inspired by adult catwalks, so there are many MINI ME among the products
A mixture of luxurious Parisian chic (Audrey Hepburn style in the 20th century) with a rebellious spirit
Loose fit, fitted silhouettes, clear shapes and lines, sharp shoulders
Emphasis on gold in the tradition of Pierre Balmain as a symbol of the return to wealth and luxury after World War II
Use a variety of finishes: gold and silver buttons, arabesque (oriental print with geometric patterns), graphic embroidery (herringbone) and chevron patterns (patch)