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Set of Six Original Maison Balmain Gouaches from the 1970-1980 Collection

About the Item

Vintage set one-of-a-kind haute couture gouache fashion sketches by the Parisian Balmain Fashion House circa 1970. Fashion Designer Bio: Perre Alexandre Claudius Balmain (1914-1982) was a well-known designer from France and the founder of Balmain fashion house. He was and still is known for his elegance and sophistication. Balmain studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts, but he spent most of his time designing apparel. From 1934-1939 Balmain worked with Edward Molyneux (fashion designer) who offered him a trial. Balmain then worked after the War with Lucien Lelong and established his own fashion house that displayed bell-shaped and small waist skirts. This was a look that became famous later on through the brand Christian Dior. A family friend, Gertrude Stein wrote a commemorative piece on Balmain for Vogue magazine and following this an order was placed by the Duchess of Windsor. By 1951, Balmain opened various branches of his label across America to sell his prêt-a-porter collections. During this time, he popularized some unique trends such as stoles, evening wear and he made sheath dresses with jackets a fad in the fashion market. He was talented in creating both simple and extravagant clothes, all with the similar aesthetics of graceful and slender lines. Pierre Balmain also created fragrances. For his astounding creations and designs, he was nominated for Best Costume Designer by the Tony Award and Balmain received the Drama Desk Award for designing outstanding costumes for Happy New Year Broadway production in 1980. He designed costumes for Sophia Loren for The Millionaires, 1960 and Josephine Baker for her eponymous revue, 1964. He designed costumes for sixteen films and designed clothes for actresses Mae West and Vivien Leigh. His classic couture dresses are still chic and sought after among international movie stars and socialites such as Kristin Davis, Kate Moss, Tatiana Sorokko, Alexandra Kerry, Penelope Cruz and Angelina Jolie among others. In 1969 the designer once said something like good fashion is not a revolution but an evolution. By then, the haute couturier was a legend for both the royalties (particularly Thailand’s Queen Sirikit) and the Hollywood stars such as Marlene Dietrich. Along with Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga and Jacques Fath – Balmain was considered the one who brought back glory to the French fashion scene after Paris’s liberation.

Attributed to:

Pierre Balmain (Fashion House)

Dimensions:

Height: 17.75 in (45.09 cm)Width: 13.75 in (34.93 cm)Depth: 0.63 in (1.61 cm)

Sold As:

Set of 6

Materials and Techniques:

Paint,Plexiglass,Wood

Place of Origin:

France

Period:

20th Century