Partner Erik Mortensen
Queer Places:
École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, 14 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris, Francia
Maison Balmain, 44 Rue François 1er, 75008 Paris, France
Pierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain (b.
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne,
Savoie, 18
May 1914 – Paris,
France, 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."[2]
Balmain's father, who died when the future designer was seven years old, was the owner of a wholesale drapery business. His mother Françoise ran a fashion boutique called Galeries Parisiennes with her sisters.[1] 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.[1]
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.[3] He joined Lucien Lelong during World War II – where he met the young designer Christian Dior.[2][3]
His companion was the Danish designer Erik Mortensen, who worked as a designer at Balmain from 1948 until 1991. 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.[1]
Pierre Balmain died at the age of 68 of liver cancer at the American Hospital of Paris, as he just completed the sketches for his fall collection.[4]
References:
Other references:
Support this project
This website is a passion project researched, developed, and funded entirely by me. If you find the content valuable and would like to help support the ongoing research and hosting costs, any contribution is deeply appreciated.
Thank you for keeping this independent resource alive!
My books on Amazon: Elisa Rolle's books
