Pierre Balmain founded his now-iconic label in 1945. Alongside fellow couture titans Christian Dior and Hubert de Givenchy, the French designer's postwar take on luxe dressing featured bell-shaped skirts falling from slender waists, structured jackets over sheath day dresses and embellishments like fur trim; he called the look “Jolie Madame.” The Duchess of Windsor was an early fan, prompting an aristocratic following.
From the voluminous skirts of the post-World War II “New Look” favored by Hollywood icons like Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich to the sleek, skinny jeans seen on Nicki Minaj, Kid Cudi and every Kardashian, clothes from the House of Balmain have long been mainstays in celebrity wardrobes.
The son of a dressmaker and a drapery salesman, Balmain's founder was born in 1914 in southeastern France and formed an interest in fashion at an early age. His mother wanted her son to be an architect — but the principles of design and structure that Pierre learned in his brief studies at the École des Beaux Arts served him well throughout his career.
Balmain was among the first to offer French looks to the American market. Since the death of the founder in 1982, the design reins at the company have been handed to luminaries such as Oscar de la Renta and Olivier Rousteing, an alum of Roberto Cavalli who was installed as creative director at the label in 2011.
Today’s Balmain has more in common with the master’s original haute couture than you might expect: sharply tailored blazers that nip in at the waist, delicate stilettos and ultra-feminine evening dresses are wardrobe basics for the 21st-century woman, too. Lovers of couture history will also prize the fluid, easy sketches from the master’s own hand they’ll find on offer here, while fashionistas clamor for the brand’s t-shirts, military-style jackets and skinny jeans.
Whether you’re a colonel in Rousteing’s “glamour army” or you fancy yourself a “Jolie Madame,” a Balmain piece — from the 1960s or even last season — will add a bold, sexy note to your look. Daytime or night, Balmain feels right now.
Find vintage Pierre Balmain dresses, skirts, scarves and other garments and accessories on 1stDibs.
Pierre Balmain Paris 346 Zig Zag
By Pierre Balmain
Located in Bristol, CT
Original Pierre Balmain (1914-1982) couture fashion hand-coloured plate with 3 fabric swatches attached designed for New York society icon Nan Kempner (1930-2005) circa 1970s Plate ...
Fabric
$19,500
H 34.5 in W 46.5 in D 3 in
Jim Rey b.1938. CA/CO artist. Oil on canvas, "Watching the Wild Ones" 24 x 36
Located in Basalt, CO
Jim Rey b. 1939. Original oil on canvas painting with custom frame. 24 x 36 canvas size. This work was painted in 2004, at a most expressive time in Rey's career. From the art...
Canvas, Oil
$1,100
H 20 in W 20 in D 2 in
Working without a Net Oil On Canvas Female Character Starry Moonlight REDUCED
By Jeanie Tomanek
Located in Houston, TX
Reduced from $1450. Working without a Net 20" x 20" oil Dogs sometimes accompany the pale bald “Everywoman” protagonist on her journeys that often take place beneath a starry moonl...
Canvas, Oil
$1,000
H 16 in W 20 in D 1 in
New York City, Original Painting on Canvas, Impressionist, Signed, 2018
By Igor Korotash
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front; titled and dated on verso by the artist. Painting is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity i...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,649
H 31.5 in W 31.5 in D 1.19 in
Boltons Cityscape Oil Painting on canvas, Contemporary Impressionist, 80x89cm
By Juan del Pozo
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Linen, Oil
$6,274
H 31.5 in W 47.25 in
Quince Flowers by Christophe Dupety - Colorful Painting, Flora, Contemporary Art
By Christophe Dupety
Located in Paris, FR
Quince Flowers is a unique oil on canvas painting by contemporary artist Christophe Dupety, dimensions are 80 × 120 cm (31.5 × 47.2 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and come...
Canvas, Oil
Boat Launch
By Andre Planson
Located in Sheffield, MA
Andre Planson French, 1898-1981 Boat Launch Oil on canvas 23 ½ by 32 in, w/ frame 32 ⅛ by 40 in Signed lower right, dated 1963 verso Inventory Number: 01829
Canvas, Oil
$7,552
H 59.06 in W 82.68 in D 1.19 in
Island for Umberto - Contemporary, Red, Green, Landscape, 21st Century, Painting
By Alexandru Rădvan
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Island for Umberto (triptych), 2014 Acrylic on canvas 59.05 H x 82.67 W in. ( 59.05 H x 27.55 W in.) 150 H x 210 W cm (each 150 H x 70 W cm) "Island for Umberto" has the literary so...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,161
H 10.63 in W 13.78 in D 1.19 in
Flesh: Small Oil Painting on Canvas, Contemporary, Unframed, 2010+
By Felix Campean
Located in BARCELONA, ES
The artwork of Felix Campean presents a scene of a human body emerging with astonishing anatomical precision, capturing every detail of the musculature and skin with hyperrealistic f...
Linen, Oil, Canvas
$1,103
H 23.63 in W 17.72 in D 1.19 in
Mythological V (Blem) - 21st Century, Nude, Yellow, Green, Nature, Myth
By Alexandru Rădvan
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Mythological V (Blem), 2016 Acrylic marker on canvas sheet (signed and dated front left corner) 23 5/8 H x 17 3/4 W in. 60 H x 45 W cm (reproduced at page 43, in the catalogue 'Mythi...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,066
H 28.75 in W 28.75 in
Roland Gaubert. Musicians, circa 1940. Cubist oil painting, signed. Framed.
Located in Paris, FR
Roland Gaubert (1914-1997) The Musicians, circa 1940 Oil on canvas Monogrammed lower right Signed and located Paris on the reverse 73 x 73 cm
Canvas, Oil
$1,000
H 20 in W 25 in D 1 in
River, Original Painting on Canvas, Impressionist Style, Signed, 2009
By Igor Korotash
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by the artist. Painting is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity included. All reasonable of...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,350
H 24 in W 36 in D 1 in
Venice, Original Impressionist Painting on Canvas, Signed, 2010, 24x36 in.
By Igor Korotash
Located in Aventura, FL
Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front; titled and dated on verso by the artist. Painting is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of Authenticity i...
Canvas, Oil