Balmain

One of the key figures in the fashion world and a distinguished member of the Haute Couture Syndicate, Balmain, continues to set the canon for contemporary French chic. Over its more than half a century history, the brand has experienced many ups and downs. The only thing that remains unchanged is that it is impossible to remain indifferent to the grace and elegance that Balmain clothes radiate.

From early childhood, the designer and founder of the Pierre Balmain brand (Pierre Balmain) confidently walked towards the fate of a professional couturier. He received a first-class schooling while working as an assistant to the leading fashion designers of the time - Edouard Molyneux and Lucien Lelong, including collaborating with aspiring Christian Dior.

Immediately after World War II, in 1945, Pierre Balmain opened his own atelier. Hungry for a luxurious life during the war and devastation, Paris gladly accepted the master's first collection - sophisticated dresses made of shiny fabric with a whalebone bodice, heaps of silk flying tulle and lace, sophisticated multi-layered hand embroidery with bugles, rhinestones, artificial stones and pearls. It was this couturier who introduced the classic silhouette of an evening dress, later monopolized by Dior - a combination of a wasp waist with a fluffy bell skirt.

In the wake of success at home, Balmain is trying to realize himself overseas. In 1950, the first Balmain boutique was opened in New York, the first specialty fashion store of this type in America. The couturier's idea to pave the way to success through blue screens turned out to be especially successful - the designer actively collaborates with Hollywood, creates costumes for the hits of the film industry and dresses top actresses - Brigitte Bardot, Marlene Dietrich, Vivien Leigh, Carol Baker and others.

The wild popularity and commercial success of the brand, despite its sky-high prices and focus strictly on the representatives of high society, pursued Balmain for almost two decades. It was this couturier that was preferred by the aristocracy and royalty, world celebrities and celebrities. The collections were gradually expanded: exquisite and stylish shoes, accessories, and a line of perfumes were added.

The production of branded watches has become a separate direction - a joint work of Balmain and the largest Swiss watch company Swatch Group. One of Pierre's assistants was the famous Karl Lagerfeld.

But, by the beginning of the 70s, the brand began not to keep up with the changes in current trends in fashion and to lose ground. The pomp and pretentiousness of the style, the high cost of hand decorating was inferior to the restrained simplicity of competitors - first of all, Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent. In an effort to maintain their position, Pierre Balmain and his right-hand man Eric Mortensen, who became the head of the brand after the death of the founder in 1982, launched the production of pret-a-porte clothing.

Until the early 2000s, the brand was going through tense times. Despite a number of design awards and selected successful collections, it does not receive much public attention. The commercial state of the house reached the point that Balmain was put up for auction several times and was forced to massively sell licenses to everyone. Management, owners and leading designers are changing like a kaleidoscope, but there has been no significant improvement.

In 2005, the house gained new perspectives with the arrival of creative director Christophe Descarten, who had previously worked with Paco Rabanne for many years. He managed to successfully rebrand the brand, keeping the traditional philosophy of sophisticated femininity and luxury. New contemporary and sophisticated outfits from Balmain have again become a regular companion of the red carpet and social life. Since 2008, the brand has launched the production of menswear - aggressive sports style and strict minimalist suits quietly coexist in collections with each other.

In 2011, health conditions forced Descarten to hand over the post to the talented young Olivier Rousteing, who cemented the success and developed Balmain's prospects in the fashion world with bold and extravagant ideas. Open dresses, sundresses, T-shirts - strict suits, biker leather jackets and suede jackets, an abundance of rivets and rhinestones, skillful play with relief and embroidery, ethnic and rock-n-roll motifs of the latest collections help to create a unique stylish and sexy image of an already modern dynamic person ... A number of steps have been taken towards the democratization of the brand, for example, joint collections with H&M.

Today Balmain women's and men's clothing can be characterized as Art Deco - strict geometry of dresses and eclectic style. Spring / Summer 2017 collection stood out with an unexpected lack of embroidery. Redundancy of details, traditional for the brand, manifested itself in the ingenious interweaving of cutouts - although, in comparison with previous years, the designer has reduced the rate on aggressive eroticism.

The collection includes:

• corset bustier dresses;
• pencil skirts, jeans or tight pants with a massive belt at the waist;
• overalls-stockings and blouses laced on the chest, silk tunics and T-shirts with rich drapery, decorated with rhinestones;
• flying chiffon dresses with thigh-length slits.

The style is dominated by muted and warm sand shades, Egyptian themes, strict things with graphic prints. Among the accents, Olivier Rousteing left the characteristic knitted fabrics, lamé, silk, velvet and mesh.

One of Olivier Rusten's radical decisions in the Balmain concept was the deliberate roughness of the boots. The relevance of the trend captured not only celebrities, but also gained popularity among the masses.Comfortable, stylish and practical demi-season boots with carefully calibrated last, optimal for a comfortable walk.

Natural leather is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also gets dirty much less. The external rudeness of the model does not spoil the legs of the owner, neatly emphasizing their fragility and slenderness.

Summer denim boots with jackboots are well-deserved attention of fashionistas.

Since 1995, the Swatch Group holding has completely bought out all the exclusive rights to the Balmain brand watch products. Today, the production center is located in the famous watchmaking city of Saint-Imier in the canton of Jura, in accordance with the strictest Swiss quality standards.

The splendor of the decor of the exquisite outfits is perfectly complemented by the dial, adorned with the branded arabesque, the brand's patented business card. The ruler is rightfully considered the standard of style. Elysées... Among the truly elegant pieces of art, every woman should pay attention to the Pierre Balmain and Chronolady diamond chronographs. Their unique design fits perfectly with both business and youth trends in the fashion world and is not subject to the destructive run of time.

Balmain Paris branded perfume will help you to fully and comprehensively express your individuality. At the beginning of each season, a special collection of fragrances is released, filled with both discreet traditional and bright non-standard novelties. The brand's cosmetics also include professional hair extensions and care products. Ready-to-use, easy-to-use false hair solutions will help prepare your hairstyle for a new, more effective look.

The Balmain brand also produces many additional accessories that combine traditional style, luxury and practicality. Umbrellas, walking sticks and folding mechanical models, fountain pens, wallets, etc. Even such a trifle as a branded comb has a significant impact on the harmonious compilation of a complete and sophisticated image.

Customers are delighted with the brand's products. This is unambiguously evidenced by the numerous rave reviews in thematic and general forums. At first glance, the brand's clothing, footwear and accessories captivate with their stylish look and luxury. When new collections appear on the shelves, real queues gather in front of boutiques and specialized online stores are inundated with orders.

The main thing that is unanimously noted in all reviews is that when faced with the original Balmain, the exceptional quality of work is striking. Flawless stitching of every seam, filigree finishing. The materials are carefully selected, very soft and pleasant to the touch. Despite the secular specifics of the products, things are extremely wearable, hardy and comfortable in everyday life.

From time to time, users note two negative points - a rather high price and a high probability of meeting a fake (in the absence of a trusted supplier).