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Pierre Balmain

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Designer

The Resume

    (May 18, 1914-June 29, 1982)
    Born in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Savoie, France
    Birth name was Pierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain
    Namesake for the fashion house Balmain
    Costume designer for 16 films
    Awarded the Legion of Honour (1978)
    Filmography includes 'Paris Holiday (1958),' 'Joy House (1964)' and 'Riff Raff Girls (1959)'
    Wrote the memoir 'My Years and Seasons'
    Designed for Brigitte Bardot and Katharine Hepburn

Why he might be annoying:

    One of his clients was Wallis Simpson.
    He apprenticed for Christian Dior and then became his main rival by copying his style (and claiming that it was his idea in the first place).
    He was accused of valuing commercial sales above artistic vision.
    His reputation in Paris suffered because he openly fraternized with his clients (something his contemporaries rarely did).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He described dressmaking as 'the architecture of movement.'
    Queen Sirikit of Thailand chose him as her personal couturier for her 1960 tour of the US.
    He was nominated for Tony Award as Best Costume Designer and won the Drama Desk Award for 'Happy New Year.'
    He designed for Josephine Baker and Gertrude Stein (whose Vogue review made him famous).
    He was one of the first Paris couturiers to see the potential of the American market.
    He diversified his line: expanding into luggage, jewellery and menswear.
    Air France's first female pilot in 1975 wore a uniform by Balmain.
    Oscar De La Renta became known designing for his label.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying