This exquisite Pierre Balmain Haute Couture dress is a stunning and very rare example of what the house was producing during this time period. It is true Haute Couture and has been entirely made by hand to Haute Couture standards. You can see a striking resemblance to the  Fall 1954 "Ecume" dress combined with elements from the "Clorinde" dress from that same season. There is also an even closer resemblance to that famous photo of the model and dress captured back stage by Mark Shaw that season. You can easily imagine that this dress was derived from the different elements of these, while tweaking the details to be more perfectly reflective of the clients personal style. It is wonderful and a joy to have it come into the shop.

The dress is constructed from a hand made ivory Chantilly French lace that is outlined with a fine silk cording. The cord has been meticulously hand applied to the lace. It follows the outline of, and defines each delicate motif within the lace's pattern. The lace portion of the dress begins just under the high and defined waist and the entire lower portion of the exterior layer of the dress is done in that stunning lace. I love how at the very hem the lace edges have been meticulously hand stitched into a silk organza so that the hem is perfectly straight. The bodice is kept with a more simple silk jersey fabric to contrast the high level of workmanship that the lace has. It is strapless and the cups are shaped and molded underneath the jersey. The silk has been is hand draped so that is sits  in soft folds over the bust. The folds are set on a slight angle and one section in the middle has been used to create a wide open loop. Through that opening winds a wide black silk taffeta sash that drapes down at the front to follow the curved angle of the bust line and then ties at the back. I have tied it into a more formal bow but you could also leave this to trail down the back. The use of the contrasting black ribbon adds both a simple and romantic touch and also visually cinches in the waist area even more then the interior corseting already does. The skirt billows out to a beautiful fullness beneath the tapered in waist. The shape and fullness that you see is built into the skirt through layers and layers of silk netting and tulle underneath. The inner construction of the dress is absolutely exquisite with a boned and corseted interior made entirely made by hand and to Haute Couture standards. Under the skirt there are a three full layers of silk tulle and netted underskirts to achieve the shape that you see. I did not add any additional crinolines here but you could create an even fuller shape by adding a separate underskirt if you wished. It is a beautiful example of the very early work that the House of Balmain was doing and a wonderful example of the golden years of Haute Couture. Excellent condition with some small notes to review below.

Fully lined in a ivory silk with extensive boning, inner construction and skirting. It closes with an intricate combination of the Balmain signature, multiple chest and waist stays and two zippers. One to close the inner corset and the other to close the exterior dress The inner layers of the skirt are attached with some having addition half layers at their hems for additional volume. The innermost skirt is interlined with netting and the built in corset is made of lingerie netting and hand done padding. It is boned with metal boning. There is perhaps some very minor darkening to the lace here and there. Very small areas here and there of darkening to the inner bodice. On the exterior bodice there are areas of light yellowing that run across the sides. It is very faint and once on I think you would never even notice it as they are across the fabric and in the folds mainly. None of this compromises the strength or integrity of the dress and it is strong and wearable with the care. All of the photos to show the stunning details of the dress are before the shot of the label and the shots to show the sides of the bodice mentioned above are after the label shot. It really is in remarkable condition. Proper Haute Couture label and tape underneath, though the writing on the couture tape under the label has faded to almost nothing.

Bust: 15" flat across the back from side seam to side seam with cups built in that would fit an A or smaller
Waist: 11.5-12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 5" from top of bodice to seam under front cups
Skirt: 36" from seam under the cups to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3344

Reference Photos: (1) Model Ann Farrar in Pierre Balmain A/W 1954-55 "Ecume" Dress. Photo by Philippe Pottier.  /  (2) Backstage at Balmain, 1954. Photo by Mark Shaw.  /  (3) Marie-Thérèse in an evening dress called "Clorinde" by Pierre Balmain, Fall/Winter 1954-1955 Collection.

This garment is sent in clean, as found condition and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Christophe Decarnin headed Balmain from 2005 as a designer and was named the Creative Director for the brand shortly after. He remained there until 2011. He was largely responsible for revitalizing the couture house, turning the label into his own rick-chic vision, and bringing in a much needed younger clientele. This tunic is a runway piece shown for Spring 2008. It's twin was worn as a tunic for Look 31 in the show.

The tunic is pure Decarnin - it has the unexpected rock chic feel to it and you can easily see its influence with what we are now seeing on the runways. Every square inch of the piece is finished with little silver sequins. I love that they are not your typical round sequins either. Each is a bit of an abstract shape and they have been applied to the silk organza underneath with silver metal thread that is top stitched over them. This creates its own secondary texture and gives the sequins a more interesting effect. It is also a little extra special because it can potentially play double duty. It can absolutely be worn as a tunic but if you are brave and don't mind showing off a mile of leg it is probably just long enough to be worn as a micro mini depending on how it sits on you. Especially with the addition of a pair of tights underneath. The neckline is scooped and the shoulders are unstructured so that is sits loose and easy on the body. The sleeves are long and the body is cut to skim over the body in an easy, relaxed way. The sequins are a brilliant silver in person the way they shine and shimmer in the light is far better then how it photoed. It weighs almost nothing and it is a piece that perfectly sums up Decarnin's tenure at the brand. Excellent condition

The sequins are directly applied to a white silk organza and it slips on to wear with no closures. Tagged a 36

Sleeves: 19"
Slightly dropped shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 28" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3333

Reference Photos: Spring 2008 Balmain Runway Collection, Look 31. Model: Kim Noorda.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

This wonderful gown with its exquisitely beaded bodice and attached cape is a numbered Haute Couture piece designed by Pierre Balmain. Both pieces would have been  made entirely by hand at the Paris atelier and the bead work done by Lesage. We found a similar gown from that same Couture collection that was featured in Harper's Bazaar that year It is an extraordinary example of the work being done during this time period of the label's history and is very beautiful.

The impact that this gown has cannot be denied. You instantly get the feel of Ancient Greece and yet is has a touch of modernity to it as well. It dress is made out of a very fine ivory silk chiffon. The neckline is high and the skirt flows to the floor with two layers of of silk chiffon over an interior silk skirt. The bodice is covered with hand placed glass tube beads that is most likely the workmanship of the famed Lesage ateliers. Eash bead has been carefully placed by hand and then they are mixed with a real metal gold thread that has been used to outline the design created with the beads. More of that same metallic thread is used to create a gold and ivory braiding that runs down the front and back and highlight the neckline. The cape detail on this one is unusual and really what makes it extra special. This cape is made of that same high end ivory silk chiffon. It ties at the front neck but it also is secured to the shoulders so that it stays perfectly in place no matter how you move, stand or sit. It is attached by tiny snaps, hidden under the inside collar of the neckline. There are endless couture level details put into this one and the workmanship throughout is perfectly and meticulously done. It is an amazing example of the fine workmanship and attention to detail of Haute Couture. and it is a true piece of fashion history. Excellent condition with one small note to review below

The dress is fully lined in an ivory through the bodice and innermost skirt. The skirt has two layers of silk over the inner lining. There may be the occasional loose or missing bead or thread. Both pieces have their numbered tag present under the main label and both bear the same number of 764027. Hand finished. It closes with a hand set, back painted metal zipper. I see one tiny yellowed spot on one tie and a pinpoint of a spot on the cape. There are two teeny smudges on the lower portion of the skirt. None of these detract - I am just being super picky. There is a slight darkening to the silk around the waist under the seam. I have photoed it all the way around and you can see that after the photos of the Couture label.

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem
Cape: 57"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2945

Reference Photo: Gleb Derujinsky in Pierre Balmain, Harper's Bazaar, April 1961.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

From the Spring 2015 collection comes this fabulous little mini from Balmain. On the runway it was shown in a longer length but was also produced as this micro mini for retail. With the craze for micro short pieces still going strong it almost feels more relevant now then it did when it came out. The skirt is made from a denim feeling thick cotton canvas fabric that both holds its shape and shapes the wearer. The design is a graphic white on black and the white is placed to highlight the lines of the skirt and the cures of the girl wearing it. It is cut to sit higher up on the waist to really give you a curved feel. It cinches in at the waist and flares out slightly as it nears the hem. I love the stark lines and the two pockets that sit on either hip. Unworn and with original tags. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black ribbed silk and closes with their signature chunky back zipper. Tagged a 40. New and unworn with original hang tag still attached

Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 18" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# S836

Reference photo: Balmain Spring 2015, Look 18, model: Andreea Diaconu

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

The Balmain transformation was definitely begun while under the tutelage of Christophe Decarnin. He was the designer to bring "more hard rock and punk" to the label, which has continued to the present day under Olivier Rousteing. The review from Vogue's Nicole Phelps that year stated: "And as promised, Spring's haute hippie feathers, fringe, and tie-dye were replaced by an all-Billy Idol soundtrack and enough leopard-print chain mail, python-pattern denim, and crystal-embroidered lightning bolts to make you wonder if there was anything at all left on the shelves at Trash and Vaudeville. To be fair, Decarnin's creations are much finer than the East Village emporium's, but they appeal to a similar kind of chick, one with a killer body and an active nightlife." This is the gown that closed the show that year and is perhaps one of the most memorable and significant pieces that he designed or the house. It was produced in very limited quantities and it is a pleasure to have one in the shop.

The gown is all about movement and showing off the body in it to its best advantage. Inside there is a fitted and shaped corset that runs fro bust to hip so that you are molded and shaped to confirm to the silhouette Decarnin wished the wearer to have. It cuts across the bust with inner built in cups to give you lift and shape. An incredible zig zag made up of crystals shape and define the body further. This lightening bolt then extends up and over the shoulder to create a single strap. At the hips the dress flares out into an extended train of fabric with a mix of leopard spots and zebra print for contrast. The panels that make up the skirt are attached only from where they flow out from the body of the dress. This leave slits up to the high upper thigh that open and flash your full leg when you walk, move or sit. The train is long and dramatic. You can see how amazing this all is once it moves by the runway pics that I have included for reference. Excellent condition with one very minor thing to note below.

It closes with the signature chunky silver zipper that Balmain uses and this is set along a curved seam so that it keeps with the form fitting construction of the dress. The inner bodice is constructed from a nude colored lingerie stretch corseting nylon fabric that has built in cups and is finished by hand. The fabric is hand draped over this and the crystals and lightening bolt attached by hand.  Tagged a 40. Note that there is one small repair along the hem of the trained skirts. I have included a photo after the label photo. It is very minor and with the extensive fabric making up the trained parts of the skirt, it is something you would never see unless you lay it out flat and look for it as I did. There are many hand finishes through the dress. There is perhaps the very occasion light line in the silk from a very slight thread snag - this is natural occurrence and so very minor but mentioned for accuracy. The inner foundation garment does have some stretch I have provided the range laying flat. You might be able to squeeze a bit more on the upper end when on a real body

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 11.5-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16.5-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice:  33" from top of shoulder to bottom of inner foundation garment
Skirt: 28.5" from bottom of inner foundation garment to shortest hem, 53" to the longest hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3115

Reference Photos: F/W 2008 Balmain Runway, Final Look.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

This is a stunning Pierre Balmain suit that is constructed from a deep blue suiting fabric that has a touch of texture to it. I believe that is a mix of a fine wool and silk and this combination gives it enough weight to hold the line but without it feeling bulky or too heavy for a modern wardrobe. We found similar pieces from the 1960 collection and have included those here. The suit has a beautiful sculptural feel with an exaggerated and dramatic swing back cut to the jacket. From the from, when the jacket is buttoned, it nips in slightly at the waist to give it just a hint of a curved in shape. The back of the jacket is gorgeous. It dramatically swings out from the shoulders in a sweep of volume that is wonderful. It is slit with a two button detailed closure and the slit runs from just below the mid-back to the hem. This tops a little A-line skirt whose simplicity perfectly balances the volume at the back of the jacket.  It is immaculately made. The seaming on the inside jacket is fantastic and both pieces have the hand finishing one excepts from a true couture piece. Behind the Balmain label is the the numbered tape showing its Haute Couture origins. Excellent condition with one small note below to read about the buttons.

Both pieces are fully lined in a navy silk. The lining in the skirt is a soft, heavy weight silk satin and the lining in the jacket a more structured silk taffeta. The jacket closes with buttons down the front and has two decorative buttons at the back. The skirt closes with a fine, back metal zipper and flat hook & eye on the waist band. Completely hand finished. Numbered behind the main label. Note the buttons are original and show chips along their edges. These are the original buttons so have been left as found.

Jacket
Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 16.5" across
Bust: to 22" flat across the back from seam to seam
Waist: open
Length: 22" from neck to hem

The back vent is actually open under the overlapped fabric to the fist button - 14" above the hem

Skirt
Waist: 15" flat across the back from seam to seam
Hips: 20" flat across the back from seam to seam
Length: 24" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD1089

Reference Photos: (1) Pierre Balmain in L'Officiel, 1960.  /  (2) Pierre Balmain in Vogue, March 1960.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival

Karlie Kloss wore the twin of this dress to the Balmain after party in Paris that season and the photos instantly went world wide. This was a peice that was available exclusively through Farfetch so very few were produced making it even harder to get. This one still has its farfetch tags and has never been worn. Olivier Rousteing said of this collection to Vogue: "Welcome to my jungle," Olivier Rousteing pronounced backstage, declaring this fearless mash-up of safari chic and hip-hop style to be his most personal collection ever. "I'm French, I'm black, and I'm proud to be at Balmain, but this is a message of freedom and globalism."

The dress is made from a leopard print jersey that is cut supermodel long. It has a open back dress that leaves an expanse of skin bare. It has the signature Balmain chunky zipper at the back that sits low below the waist, becoming a design feature in itself. The halterneck sits high at the front with a gilded and embossed lion head snaps fastening it at the back of the neck. I love the black detailing that sweeps up and around the neckline and forms a criss-cross pattern around the waist. This draws the eye in and acts both as a fabulous detailing to the dress and also it gives the illusion of a waist cinching belt and makes you look even tinier through the waist then you are. The hem is cut longer at the back then the front for a trained effect asymmetric hem and a super model long, sweeping floor-length that features a thigh-high split at the front. Original tags still attached. Excellent condition

Has a full black stretch jersey inner lining. Closes at the back of the neck with snaps and at the low back waist with a zipper. Tagged a 42 but Balmain fits small. Original tags attached. Never worn.

Bust: no true side seams
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 16 " from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 48" from waist to front hem, extends another 20" past that at the back
Front slit: 33" from hem to top of slit

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2970

Reference Photos: Karlie Kloss at the Balmain After Party on September 25, 2014 in Paris, France.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Haute Couture does not always have to be an elaborate, over the top piece. Sometimes the beauty of couture lies in the restraint of the line and the outward appearance of simplicity that actually hides the hours of handwork put into each piece. This wonderful dress is numbered Haute Couture and would have been made by hand in the Paris atelier. The attention to detail shown in every stitch is breathtaking and to the highest standards. The silk crepe used is of the highest possible grade and the gives the dress its beautiful drape and fall. The top is cut into a wide V and is cleverly constructed to look like a separate top over the long skirt. It is of course, all one piece. Each sleeves is cut so that it puffs out slightly above the fitted cuffs. The skirt is a masterpiece of pleat work. Each individual pleat is perfectly matched to its neighbor and inset around the waist with all the work hidden under the overlap of the bodice. It is truly a brilliantly cut dress and when you see it in person and see that every stitch is done by hand, including the finish to all the interior seams, you will be astounded at the level of craftsmanship and care put into the construction. A masterpiece of museum quality condition. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a matching silk satin and is completely made by hand as the parameters of Haute Couture dictates. It closes with a back, handset painted metal zipper. The cuffs snap into place under three silk covered decorative buttons. Haute Couture tape under the tag with number 157888. Note that in person the color is a more garnet toned red then how it photoed. It looks like it was worn very little, if at all.

Sleeves: 27"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 18-19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips at inner lining: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15.5" from shoulder to hidden waist seam
Skirt: 39.5" from hidden waist seam to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2913

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

A fantastic swing coat by Pierre Balmain in a wonderful deep golden mustard color that is so flattering on. The coat is made of a lightweight wool that is very comfortable to wear but warm. The cut is a fabulous example of the loose, yet sculptural styles of the fifties with lots of volume through the back especially. The collar is neat with gorgeous rounded edges and each sleeve is finished with a simple notched cuff and left wide. All the volume comes out from the shoulder and when on creates the most dramatic silhouette. Hidden front pockets sit on either side of the front seaming and I love the big bold buttons. It is exception and wonderfully made and finished. Excellent overall condition.

The cut is very forgiving - my mannequin is a size 4-6 and it is not pinned on her. It will easily work as an over-sized garment on a smaller girl and work equally well on a larger frame.

Unlined and closes at the front with the buttons as shown. Hidden pockets at the front seams.

Sleeves: 22" approx.
Shoulders: no defined seam
Inner bust: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: open
Hips: open
Length: 42.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# C416

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.