Discover the BALMAIN PARIS Spring-Summer 2019 menswear collection on our website.

The Story of the House of Balmain :

The House of Balmain was founded in 1945 by French designer Pierre Balmain. His first collections during this era were very feminine, very Parisian, elegant and in subdued tones. His approach to dressing, christened the ‘new French style’, matched an endless quest for modernity.

In 1954, one of the sketches by Karl Lagerfeld, the winner of a wool guild competition, was used by the House of Balmain, who subsequently hired him.

After the passing of Pierre Balmain in 1982, the torch of haute couture was handed to Erik Mortensen, who had been his primary assistant since 1951, and who held it until July 1990.

From 1993 to July 2002 the artistic director of the House was Oscar de la Renta, who remained faithful to the "Jolie Madame" style with his fluid and elegant creations.

From February 2006, Christophe Decarnin took over the creation of the women's ready-to-wear line and, from July 2008, the men's line as well. His urban influences, combined with his love of slightly opulent elegance, have allowed him to introduce a rock ‘n’ roll chic gene into the DNA of the brand.

Since 2011, Olivier Rousteing, a young graduate of the Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD), has been the artistic director of the House of Balmain. In charge of the Balmain creation studio since 2009, he oversees the creation and development of the women's and men's ready-to-wear collections.