A NEW FRENCH STYLE : THE MIRACLE

Pierre Balmain’s life changed radically on October 12th, 1945. That was the date that the young designer chose to schedule his new house’s first couture presentation to the public, held inside the salon of his new headquarters at 44, rue de François Premier, in the center of Paris’ famed “Golden Triangle” luxury neighborhood. Our third l’Atelier Balmain podcast explores the many challenges and struggles that the young Pierre Balmain faced as he worked on that first presentation—making very clear why the final, incredible triumph of that first collection is something that could be summed up as a “miracle”—a word that Pierre Balmain himself chose to describe that moment, in an interview with the French press, several years later.

Both the new French government and the Paris fashion houses were eager to promote their designers and the latest post-war collections, in order to help this important industry begin to recover. But, with the restrictions, shortages and lack of tourists, buyers and press—any sort of lavish presentation was simply out of the question. There was not enough fabric, money, heat, reliable electricity or workers. So, the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture—the powerful trade organization governing every element of French fashion—was forced to improvise. And it came up with a fantastic and original solution. Paris’ fashion leaders dreamt up an entirely new and enchanting way to present the type of creations that only Paris fashion is capable of designing,

In early March 1945, a special exhibit was set up inside the Louvre Museum. 60 Paris couturiers helped install what they called the Théâtre de la Mode. They relied on about 200 dolls, each one specially created from thick wires and plaster heads, and all of them set up on a series of 15 miniature stages that had been created by some of Paris’ most talented designers, including Jean Cocteau and Christian Berard.

Each participating couturier created about five outfits, giving each house’s dolls a selection of morning, afternoon, cocktail, dinner and evening looks.

Today, The Théâtre de la Mode forms a part of the Maryhill Museum, which generously gave us permission to use their photos to help tell this incredible story.

The 200 designs were grouped by styles.
For the collections of daytime suits and dresses, the sets were inspired by many Parisian post-card scenes— the mannequins were posed window-shopping in the Place Vendome and strolling outside the Palais Royal. Most locations looked to everyday life from pre-war times, including sunbathing at Deauville’s beaches, or a night at the opera.

After Paris, the Théâtre de la Mode traveled to London, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Barcelona for the rest of 1945. Then, European tour finished, the mannequins returned to Paris to be outfitted with new clothes that the houses had designed for the 1946 season and then the exhibition traveled to the United States—so, those dolls’ dresses were among the first Balmains presented in the United States. This gray tulle Balmain dress, set on a witch flying from the rafters of a bombed-out maid's room received a lot of attention—as much for Balmain’s designs as for the setting, which was a surrealistic scene dreamed up by the famous Jean Cocteau.

But even though the address and the façade were impressive, the new space wasn’t exactly suited to the needs of a designer—it was far too small of a space and it was still laid out for apartment living. Balmain was forced to convert the old bathroom into his design studio, creating a desk by laying a board across the bathtub. Fabrics were stored in new shelves thrown up quickly in the kitchen. The long hallway was given over to the switchboard, desks and racks of clothing.

Like every new designer, Balmain had to deal with money problems as he designed his collection. To save money he moved into the space—working and sleeping there at night, as he worked on his first offerings during the day. His early backers changed their mind at the last moment, forcing him to scramble and plead with bankers and search for new investors. Then, when 200,000 francs went missing from the office safe, his mother actually ended up prying the diamond off her engagement ring to pawn for needed funds.

And there were problems with the lease that he had signed. The landlords had signed over the space even though the new French government had passed a decree making it clear that all properties that had been requisitioned by the Nazis were to be handed over to De Gaulle’s new government. Post-war government plans called for the space to be converted into offices for the Economics Ministry. Balmain received many threatening letters and visits from gendarmes threatening to evict him.

Pierre Balmain’s first designs could be summed up in two words: luxury and simplicity.

There’s a very long and slender spirit that’s easy to notice—even the pleated skirts managed to remain very slender. It’s all about softness and femininity—shoulders are natural, waists are cinched and there’s lots of skillful draping

To provide a bit of contrast to the collection’s slim pants and sheaths, for evening Balmain threw in some full-skirted styles, as well.

When it was over, as every designer does, all he could do was wait for the reviews—and they were amazing.

The collection itself was more than well received, with magazines like l'Epoque calling it “very smart and seductive,” Les Lettres Françaises praised “the collection’s fireworks of new ideas” Point du Vue praising the “Elegance, sobriety and pretty details” and Femina mentioning that ever since the day of the show “Everyone in Paris is asking: have you seen Balmain?” Minerve simply showed one of the hats from the collection, with a photo caption reading “Hats off to Balmain’s great elegance, strict tailoring and refined embroidery”

And the critics were also ready to pile praise upon the collection’s designer, Pierre Balmain, with Action magazine labeling him as the newest star in fashion’s constellation who was enjoying an instant success, L’Art Et Mode calling Balmain a magnificent artist who was breaking traditions and Gavroche declaring that this very Parisian collection meant that Pierre Balmain could now be considered to be among the top level of designers —a view echoed by The New York Herald Tribune, which stated that the successful new collection allowed the new house of Pierre Balmain to be considered on same level as that moment’s other great houses of Paris, including Balenciaga, Lelong, Molyneux, Patou.