“Pierre Baimain’s famous clients are numerous. We know that Lili Palmer likes only light woolens for day and mohair for evenings and that Ingrid Bergman doesn't have such strong rules (she lets herself be tempted by whatever design might please her and recently finished her fittings for a navy suit that she plans to wear with a mauve-and-white striped muslin blouse). Finally, Brigitte Bardot has caused a lot of talk recently due to a certain purple velvet dress worn under a matching coat, lined with a seaweed-toned mohair, which Pierre Balmain designed just for her.”
Our Stars: Who Dresses Them?
Le Monde December 18, 1958

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, Pierre Balmain designed for Thailand’s royal family, creating an extensive wardrobe for Queen Sirikit, who was considered to be one of the best-dressed women of her time. Her one-of-a-kind Balmain collection was filled with exceptional day, cocktail and eveningwear designs that melded Parisian couture techniques, silhouettes and tailoring with the beauty of Thai silks, embellishments and patterns.

Cindy, Claudia and Naomi’s iconic images are often found amongst the jumble on mood boards in my (and almost every other designer’s) atelier. To say that working with them was a dream come true is absolutely not an exaggeration. Watching them and Steven instinctively work together on this campaign, I was struck by the confidence, professionalism and grace on display in front of me. There was never any doubt that the final images would be anything but perfect. Looking at them now, I like to think that perhaps these shots might also, someday, form part of some future designer’s mood board.”

With his deep love of music and dedication to designing for how his generation lives today, it made perfect sense that Olivier Rousteing would turn to the then 26-year-old Rihanna for Balmain’s Spring 2014 Campaign. "Of course, I wanted to have Rihanna in this campaign because, in addition to being my good friend, she’s also a muse and an icon,” Rousteing explained. “And I love how she owned those clothes—her attitude was that of an ‘80s supermodel.”