Pierre Alexandre Claudius Balmain was a French fashion designer and founder of leading post-war fashion house Balmain.
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10 Facts About Pierre Balmain
2.
Pierre Balmain went to school at Chambery and, during weekends with his uncle in the spa town of Aix-les-Bains, his interest in couture fashion was inspired by society women he met.
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3.
Pierre Balmain began studying architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1933, undertaking freelance work drawing for the designer Robert Piguet.
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4.
Pierre Balmain joined Lucien Lelong during World War II – where he met the young designer Christian Dior.
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5.
Pierre Balmain died at the age of 68 of liver cancer at the American Hospital of Paris, having just completed the sketches for his fall collection.
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6.
Pierre Balmain was active in promoting himself internationally from the early days – touring Australia in 1947 and designing a line to be produced in the country.
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7.
Pierre Balmain expanded operations to the United States in 1951, selling ready-to-wear clothes that earned him a prestigious Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1955.
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8.
Pierre Balmain spotted the talent of Karl Lagerfeld, hiring him in 1954 after judging a fashion competition that the young German designer won.
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9.
Pierre Balmain was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design for Happy New Year .
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10.
Pierre Balmain was a costume designer for 16 films, including the Brigitte Bardot vehicle And God Created Woman and La Parisienne, and designed on-screen wardrobes for the actresses Vivien Leigh and Mae West.
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