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1960's PIERRE BALMAIN demi couture black dress & jacket with beading

Name: 1960's PIERRE BALMAIN demi couture black dress & jacket with beading
Brand: Pierre Balmain
Rating: 5 (92 reviews)

About the Item

This demi-couture jacket and dress set from 1960's designed by Pierre Balmain is cut in black with a clean fit through the body. The dress itself is simple and cut slim, with short sleeves and a round neckline. What stands out is the embellishment: a dense band of gold and black beading at the collar, arranged in a geometric pattern and finished with small dangling elements that add a bit of movement. The jacket is designed as a cape-like overlay, sitting over the shoulders rather than fitting like a traditional blazer. It falls in soft, straight panels and leaves the front open. The cuffs echo the neckline, with the same beaded detailing and small drops along the edge. Worn together, it’s fairly understated, with the decoration concentrated at the neckline and sleeve edges while the rest is kept simple. This set is finished to haute couture standards, with exceptional craftsmanship, luxurious materials, and careful hand-finishing. As demi-couture, it was produced in a standard size and sold ready-to-wear in the boutique, offering couture-level quality without being fully custom-made, and was available for immediate purchase. Fits a size 6-10. Dress measures approximately: 37" at bust, 33" at waist, 40" at hips and 41" in length. Jacket measures approximately: 21.5" from armpit to armpit (43" around - meant to fit very loose), arm length from underarm to cuff (without fringe beads) 11" and overall length at center back is 19". There is no shoulder seam. Dress zips up center back. Jacket has no closures. Fully lined. Made in France. Very good condition.

Designer:
Pierre Balmain
Brand:
Pierre Balmain
Dimensions:
Marked Size: 6-10 (NA)
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1960-1969
Material Notes:
appears to be a wool or silk wool blend (not scratchy), silk, beads
Condition:
excellent. Missing a couple of beads.
Seller Location:
San Fransisco, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU8128883872

Shop All Pierre Balmain

Pierre Balmain

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.