Balmain

Pierre Balmain studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1933 and 1934 but spent his time designing dresses. He worked for Edward Molyneux, served in the French forces in the late 1930s and then worked at Lucien Lelong before opening his own house at 44 rue François 1er in Paris in 1945. After the war he dressed Ava Gardner, Brigitte Bardot and Queen Sirikit of Thailand, and Marlene Dietrich wore his clothes in No Highway in the Sky (1951).

After Balmain's death in 1982 the house was led by Erik Mortensen, his assistant since 1951. Hervé Pierre followed until 1992, then Oscar de la Renta from 1993 to 2002. Christophe Decarnin arrived in 2005 and gave the house a flashier, more expensive image. Olivier Rousteing, who had joined in 2009, succeeded him in April 2011 and led Balmain for 14 years, adding its first accessories line in 2017 and a new logo in 2018.

Mayhoola for Investments bought Balmain in 2016. Rousteing announced his departure on 5 November 2025, and Antonin Tron was named creative director a week later.