Pierre Balmain was "a king of French fashion"

Balmain has been one of my favorites. Balmain is a fashion house that was founded by Pierre Balmain. Pierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain was a French fashion designer. Known for sophistication and elegance, he once said that "dressmaking is the architecture of movement." 

In the period following World War II, Pierre Balmain was "a king of French fashion" and outfitted stars including Ava Gardner and Brigitte Bardot. After Pierre Balmain's death in 1982, the house was led by Erik Mortensen, described by Vogue as Pierre Balmain's "right hand." Oscar de la Renta led the house between 1993 and 2001. Under Pierre Balmain, Mortensen, and de la Renta, the house was known for its classic, luxurious designs.

Today, the house is led by designer Christophe Decarnin, whose vision for the house is more modern and edgier. In around 2008 and 2009, The clothing line became extremely popular both among fashion magazines, runways and celebrities. His 2010 collection was shown during Paris' Fashion Week, was said to be totally retro and brought back the glitz and glitter of the 70s disco era. The Spring/Summer 2011 collection has been heavily criticised though. Balmain has been known for strong padded shoulders.