Eighty years ago, Pierre Balmain revealed his first couture collection to the press in his headquarters located 44 Rue François 1er, to this day still the house’s flagship, in front of an audience that included Gertrude Stein and Cecil Beaton.
A key player in France’s postwar fashion renaissance, the couturier came to define the “Jolie Madame” aesthetic that appealed as much to aristocrats and royals as it did to Hollywood leading stars.
When he died in 1982 at the age of 68, the reins passed to a succession of designers whose fortunes at the helm varied from solidly successful to spectacularly short-lived.
Below, a look back at the designers at the helm of the storied French house, from the founder to the current Olivier Rousteing, who has piloted the brand’s renaissance, and every creative in between.
Pierre Balmain (1945 – 1982)
Working out of a cramped Paris apartment at 44 Rue François 1er that he found soon after occupying German soldiers vacated the premises in the wake of Paris’ liberation in August 1944, Pierre Balmain launched his label on Sept. 18, 1945 to overwhelmingly positive reviews.
Influenced by his architectural training, his silhouette was all about strict tailoring, cinched waists and strong shoulders. The moniker “Jolie Madame,” which became the name of his first fragrance, described it best.
Having understood early the importance of establishing an international presence, Balmain toured the U.S. extensively and traveled to destinations that ranged from Afghanistan and Iran to Thailand and Japan.
Among his assistants was a young Karl Lagerfeld, who stayed for three years before leaving to lead Jean Patou in 1958.
During his time, the house began its fragrance business and a number of licensing deals were signed.
In his latter years, the couturier tapped French designer Dominique Morlotti to design the menswear line in 1979, a role he held until 1984.
Balmain died of cancer in 1982. He was 68.
Erik Mortensen (1982 – 1990)
In the wake of Balmain’s death, his right-hand man and a studio veteran of over three decades picked up the mantle by finishing the fall 1982 collection the late founder had begun sketching. The Danish designer, who was artistic director of haute couture, went on to win two Dé d’Or awards for his couture collection, for fall 1983 and fall 1987.
The high-end Balmain Ivoire ready-to-wear line was added to his responsibilities from spring 1988.
Under Mortensen, Peggy Huynh Kinh became artistic director for women’s ready-to-wear and licenses studio for women’s accessories and home goods in 1982, a position she held until departing for Celine in 1987. British designer Alistair Blair briefly succeeded her.
On the menswear side, Patrick Aubert served as creative director between 1985 and 1991.
Hervé Pierre Braillard (1990 – 1992)
A graduate of the Ecole de la Chambre Syndical de la Couture Parisienne, Braillard cut his teeth under Mortensen and perpetuated the house’s reputation for elegance with solid, safe collections during his three-year tenure as director of ready-to-wear and haute couture. Braillard later relocated to the U.S. and went on to work for Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera before designing gowns for U.S. first ladies.
Oscar de la Renta with a model in eveningwear from the Balmain spring 1985 couture collection.
Thierry Chomel/Fairchild Archive
Oscar de la Renta (1993 – 2002)
During a “fruitful, 10-year collaboration” as WWD later characterized it, de la Renta built the house into one of Paris’ top-selling couture names, with then-president and chief executive officer Alain Hivelin saying that the house went from 30 dresses a season before de la Renta’s arrival to as many as 300 outfits by the time he left. De la Renta also designed the Ivoire luxury ready-to-wear.
During his tenure, several designers were tapped for the brand’s other lines. Bernard Sanz became creative director of menswear in 1993 and held the position until 1997.
Meanwhile, the ready-to-wear line saw Andrew Gn become artistic director, presenting a poorly received collection for fall 1998 before exiting. His successor was Gilles Dufour, who also had the licensed products studio under his purview and who designed three seasons for the house that earned rocky reviews, WWD noted at the time. His contract was terminated after he sent out outfits emblazoned with “Whore” and “Bitch” in the fall 2000 show.
After that, the rtw was designed by a team supervised by managing director Georgina Brandolini.
Laurent Mercier (2002 – 2003)
After winning the ANDAM award and other accolades for his own brand, Mercier was tapped as creative director to design Balmain’s ready-to-wear collections starting with fall 2002. Two seasons later, he was named its couturier, but parted ways with the house following his first couture effort in January 2003.
Christophe Lebourg (2003 – 2005)
A seasoned designer with a track record at Rodier, Joseph, Callaghan and Cacharel, Lebourg was brought on to design rtw, with couture still a question in the air. Hivelin told WWD at the time that Lebourg had been chosen because his creative ability “responds to our expectations vis-à-vis our clientele.”
Christophe Decarnin on the runway at Balmain’s fall 2006 show in Paris.
Fairchild Archive/WWD
Christophe Decarnin (2006 – 2011)
Quietly joining the house in 2005, the French designer rebooted the brand into a hot-blooded fashion house that offered audacious and ultrasexy designs commanding a high price that sold like hot cakes. The term “Balmania” was first coined under his tenure.
In 2008, that expanded into menswear, where ripped jeans and tough leather blousons became a signature. His five-year tenure came to a screeching halt after the designer did not appear at the end of the fall 2011 show.
Designer Olivier Rousteing with a model backstage at his debut fall 2012 Balmain show in Paris.
Dominque Maître/WWD
Olivier Rousteing (2011 – Present)
Already in charge of the design studio since 2009, Rousteing was thrust into the limelight by his 2011 appointment as creative director. The Parisian designer of Somali-Ethiopian descent became the youngest-ever head of a French house at the age of 25.
During his tenure, he has successfully re-established the codes of Balmain as part of the current zeitgeist and reintroduced its couture collections to a new generation of fashion followers and those in his Balmain Army. His designs have been worn by many celebrities, including Iman, Rihanna and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, who wore looks she and Rousteing co-created for her renowned “Renaissance World Tour” of 2023 and continues to collaborate with him on multiple projects. He has also partnered with Disney, Evian, H&M, Porsche, Puma and the Opera de Paris, among others, while leading Balmain Beauty into a new chapter.
– With contributions from Tonya Blazio-Licorish
