Full Name | Pierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain |
Date of Birth | 18 May 1914 |
Date of Death | 29 June 1982 |
Age at Death | 68 |
Place of Birth | Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Savoie, France |
Place of Death | Paris, France |
Occupation | Fashion Designer |
Known For | Founder of Balmain fashion house |
Notable Credits | Neiman Marcus Fashion Award (1955), Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur (1962), Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog (1963), Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design |
Significant Work | Designed outfits for Queen Sirikit of Thailand for her 1960 tour of the US |
Net Worth | Approximately $100 million |
Career Highlights | Known for sophistication and elegance, described dressmaking as “the architecture of movement” |
Early Life | Father owned a wholesale drapery business, mother ran a fashion boutique called Galeries Parisiennes |
Education | Studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts, worked for Robert Piguet, Edward Molyneux, and Lucien Lelong |
Mentor | Worked under Edward Molyneux and Lucien Lelong, where he met Christian Dior |
Death | Died of liver cancer at the American Hospital of Paris |
Legacy | Founder of the leading post-war fashion house Balmain, known for his architectural approach to fashion |