Balmain
Pierre Balmain S.A.trading as Balmain is a French luxury fashion house that was founded by Pierre Balmain in 1945. It operates 16 mono-brand stores, including New York City, London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, and Milan's Via Montenapoleone.
In 2016, Mayhoola Investments acquired Balmain for a figure reported as close to €500 million ($548 million). Balmain was 70 percent controlled by heirs of Alain Hivelin. Les Echos estimated its revenue in 2015 at €136 million, growing from an estimated €34 million in 2012. Balmain expected to reach a revenue of €150 million in 2017, 90% of which is generated by the wholesale channel and is also putting more effort into direct retail.
Balmain is a pioneering designer with the lovely "Jolie Madame" style. The company uses mainly embroidered fabrics, waist trim, full skirt skirts. This style of Balmain was very different from the comfortable and functional fashion of the time. And his success proves that French women, after a period of suffering and reducing their dress due to the aftermath of World War II, now need someone who brings a fresh, feminine, and luxurious look to them again. That person was none other than Pierre Balmain. The "Jolie Madame" style that Balmain created quickly became popular with European aristocrats and Hollywood stars. Among the stars who turned to Balmain to order a cocktail, evening, and wedding gowns were Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Brigitte Bardot, Josephine Baker, Katharine Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, and Sophia Loren.
After the death of Pierre Balmain in 1982, the ship Balmain has been piloted by talented designers who know how to balance tradition, brand identity with modern needs. Those designers include Erik Mortensen, Herve Pierre, Laurent Mercier, Oscar de la Renta, and Christophe Decarnin. They were inspired by the color, softness, and elegance in the spirit of "Jolie Madame" to maintain the typical beauty of the fashion house in the designs. Among them, the two designers have the most powerful influence on the media. These are Oscar de la Renta and Olivier Rousteing.
