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
$6,500
H 30 in W 20 in
Little Angel of NoLita, Acrylic on Marble, Street Art, 2010s, Unframed
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
Berlin has loved Manhattan & New York City for decades. This love is passionately brought to life in the dynamic & vibrant series of Guradian Angels that he's created to protect the areas that he loves so much with his own Guardian Angels in the Sharp Edge style.The first of these Angels has been created to protect SoHo, the now historic cast iron district in Lower Manhattan south of Houston Street north of Little Italy. During the dark hours when people are sleeping and the district has emptied this first, primary coloured Angel watches...
Marble
$5,876Sale Price|37% Off
H 39.57 in W 32.88 in
Dutch-Flemish Baroque old master - Late 17th century nobleman portrait oil
Located in Varmo, IT
European master (17th–18th century) - Portrait of a Nobleman. 81 x 65 cm (without frame) - 100.5 x 83.5 cm (with frame). Oil on canvas, in a carved and gilded wooden frame (not sig...
Canvas, Oil
$7,850
H 32 in W 37 in D 2 in
Romantic French Shepherdess 19th Century Landscape Painting by Jean Beauduin
By Jean Beauduin
Located in Rochester, NY
French shepherdess at twilight by Jean Beauduin (1851-1916). Oil on canvas mounted on board. Original Barbizon frame. I believe the dog is a bergere Pic...
Canvas, Oil, Panel
$588Sale Price|28% Off
H 18.12 in W 25.99 in
European painter - 19th century Realist landscape, river and watermill
Located in Varmo, IT
European painter (19th century) - Landscape with Mill and Stream. 41 x 61 cm (without frame) - 46 x 66 cm (with frame). Oil on canvas, in gilded wooden frame (not signed). The pai...
Canvas, Oil
$1,495
H 2 in W 37 in D 32 in
Garden Scene Oil Painting in Gilt Frame, Early 20th Century
Located in Rochester, NY
Garden scene by Agostos Acs (Hungarian 1889-1947). Oil on canvas. In great gilt frame, early 20th century. period sculpted artis...
Canvas, Oil
$3,900
H 31 in W 22 in D 1 in
Impressionist Painting of a Young Spanish Flamenco Dancer by J.C. Arter
By John Charles Arter
Located in Rochester, NY
Wonderful impressionist painting. Full of light, color, and movement. "The Flamenco Dancer by J. Charles Arter ( American 1860-1923). Oil on canvas. Signed upper left. Circa 1900. Unframed. Born in Hanoverton, Ohio, Charles Arter studied in Cincinnati and Paris at the Academie Julian. He had studios in Venice, London and New York and painted portraits of many famous personages including Pope Pius X...
Canvas, Oil
Ageless eyes
By Dasha Pogodina
Located in Zofingen, AG
ABOUT THE ARTWORK The painting "Ageless Eyes" from the MADELEINE series is a meditation on memory that does not age, on a gaze that holds centuries, and on feminine resilience passed...
Canvas, Acrylic
$23,507
H 27.96 in W 22.84 in
Penitent Saint Mary Magdalene, Oil on Canvas, Circa 1665-1675
Located in Paris, Île-de-France
Nicolas LOIR (Paris, 1624 – 1679) Penitent Saint Mary Magdalene Oil on canvas, 58 x 71 cm Unsigned Circa 1665–1675 Trained under Simon Vouet and later Sébastien Bourdon, Nicolas ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,200
H 24 in W 18 in D 1 in
"Glimmering in Paris" Abstract Figure Gown Haute Couture Oil Painting on Canvas
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited compositions are both dramatic and invigorating, capturing the fleeting moment of innocence swept up in bold color and seemingly controlled movement. She demonstrates a whimsical expression of femininity and formality; a stunning display of understated grandeur. It is as if the shape's only purpose is to hold the magnificent colors. Painted oil on canvas, signed and dated verso. Art measures 24 x 18 inches Inspired by whimsey and purity of the feminine form, Cindy Shaoul is known for her impressionistic and abstract style. She is best known for her series of Brides, Dripping Dots and Hearts, as well as her Plein air street scenes of quintessential New York spots. Shaoul’s works can be found in permanent collections of 100’s of Corporate and Private Collections around the world. Since her first solo show at the Parsons School of Design in 2009, her work has been showcased internationally in Busan South Korea and has shown at Art Fairs in Miami, Palm Beach, Dallas, and New York. She has had numerous Solo exhibitions and this year has garnered the attention of Actress Lily J. Collins and the like. Her love of painting began at the age of 18 when she was on Thanksgiving break from college. She painted a 9 foot colorful, abstract Mural in her Mothers' art studio and never stopped after that. She later traveled to Hungary and Budapest, picking up inspiration and studying abroad for 2 years, which has connected lifelong experiences that would influence her art today. Upon returning to New York City, she would continue her artistic education at the Art Students League, where she worked under the tutelage of Joseph Peller, Gregg Kreutz...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$900Sale Price|25% Off
H 35.44 in W 31.5 in
Angel woke up, 90x80cm, acrylic on canvas
By Anastasiya Akulova
Located in Yerevan, AM
Angel woke up 90x80 cm
Canvas, Acrylic
$31,097
H 74.81 in W 78.75 in
Cainemim by Ramon Enrich - 6.5-In Wide Geometric Landscape Painting, Earth Tones
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
Cainemim is a unique acrylic on canvas painting by Spanish contemporary artist Ramon Enrich, dimensions are 190 × 200 cm (74.8 × 78.7 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and co...
Canvas, Acrylic
$7,500
H 36 in W 49 in D 1.5 in
Venus - Contemporary Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, 21st Century
By Peter Lupkin
Located in Chicago, IL
She is the quintessential embodiment of love, feminine allure, and the coming of new life. The goddess Venus is undoubtedly one of the most widely-referenced divinities of the classi...
Canvas, Oil