Balmain | Singular craftsmanship and impeccable tailoring

Pierre Balmain was only 30 years old in August 1944, when Paris was liberated. And once freedom arrived, Balmain decided it was time to find his own couture house, quickly setting up his atelier inside a recently vacated space on 44 Rue de François Premier. The designer’s memoirs make clear that he felt he simply could not wait any longer to make a change and he definitely wasn’t the only Parisian looking for new beginnings at that time. All around him, one could spy brave green shoots of the beginning of a cultural rebirth. France was entering into what would later be called its année zero, Year Zero. After so much had been destroyed, suddenly so much seemed ready to start anew. Startling and exceptional visions in music, literature, theatre and cinema were being pushed forward by the remarkable young talents of that time, creating an explosion of creativity that began in Paris immediately after the war and continued for decades afterwards. But while liberated Paris may have been hungry for changes, original ideas and a better future, Paris was also, quite literally, just plain hungry. It was a very difficult time for many Parisians, an era of rationing, shortages, instability and anxiety. In spite of that, just like the other bold talents of liberated France, Pierre Balmain was filled with an optimistic confidence in better days ahead. In October 1945, Balmain’s drive, audaciousness and distinctive outlook resulted in his first collection putting forward an extraordinarily fresh and feminine vision, one that was hailed as a “New French Style” by Alice B Toklas. His unique and immediately popular vision ensured that Pierre Balmain would be among the handful of daring designers responsible for France’s historic post-war fashion renaissance, helping to make very clear to all that Paris remained fashion’s capital.