BALMAIN

Balmain was born in 1914 in France to a father who ran a drapers. Moving to Paris to study architecture he instead ended up designing dresses. Famed for his structured garments designed to highlight and exaggerate the female form, his use of decadent, embroidered fabrics and luxurious finishes made his designs highly exclusive and sought-after. Pierre Balmain is often cited as "a king of French fashion" and dressed stars including Ava Gardner & Brigette Bardot.