Pierre Balmain was one of the earliest designers to grasp the power of celebrity in fashion. The French couturier built close relationships with the superstars of his era, dressing them for the stage and screen — a legacy that continues under the house’s current creative director, Olivier Rousteing.

When Balmain launched his namesake house in post-war Paris, he introduced a waist-cinched silhouette that quickly became a favorite among the celebrity set. He dressed icons such as Josephine Baker, Brigitte Bardot, Katharine Hepburn and Sophia Loren, helping define the visual language of 20th-century fame.

Baker became a longtime collaborator, with Balmain designing elaborate, symbolic and glamorous ensembles for her film and stage performances. One standout was the 1951 “Four Seasons” gown, paired with a velvet jacket featuring a dramatically tall collar. Their partnership endured until her final show in 1975, cementing her image as a fashion icon.

Balmain also collaborated with Bardot on several films. For “Her Bridal Night,” he created a layered tulle wedding gown with floral appliqués. “And God Created Woman” showcased Bardot’s carefree persona in jumpsuits and feminine dresses, while “Love Is My Profession” introduced pencil skirts, wrap coats and signature LBDs.

Though Audrey Hepburn is most closely associated with Givenchy, she wore Balmain for her 1954 wedding to Mel Ferrer, choosing a tea-length dress with a satin sash, ballgown sleeves and high collar.

For Katharine Hepburn, Balmain designed the wardrobe for the 1952 West End production of “The Millionairess,” including an embroidered gown with matching beaded gloves. When the film was remade in 1960 starring Sophia Loren, Balmain again took the reins, designing a pink dress with extravagant jewelry that married cinematic elegance with star power.

His Hollywood connections continued with Jane Fonda, who wore Balmain in the 1964 thriller “Joy House,” adding Riviera glamour to the film’s intrigue.

Balmain’s deeply personal, long-running collaboration with French superstar Dalida produced many of her most memorable stage and film looks — from the dramatic black velvet and gold Lurex cape ensemble worn in her 1983 Montreal concert to the ethereal white “Ziberline” gown of 1973.

In a tribute, Dalida once said: “Pierre Balmain, for me, was life in pink, in silk, in lace — and sometimes in rhinestones.”

Several of her Balmain designs were later exhibited at Paris’ Palais Galliera in a 2017 retrospective show.

From the ’60s through the ’80s, Balmain also designed extensively for Queen Sirikit of Thailand, creating more than two decades’ worth of royal daywear and evening gowns — many combining Western silhouettes with modern Thai silk. These pieces are now preserved at the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles in Bangkok.

The Rousteing Era

Olivier Rousteing has inherited and evolved Balmain’s celebrity tradition, crafting red-carpet and arena-concert looks for a new generation of stars while forming his own “Balmain Army” of models and influencers.

One of the first luxury designers to use social media like a digital native, Rousteing embraced Instagram early on. He saw its potential not only as an advertising platform, but as a cultural divining rod to point to music trends and overall generational shifts. He has used social media to stay ahead of the curve by understanding the cultural moment before it happens.

He coined the term “Balmain Army” to describe his collective of models, musicians, actors and influencers who represent the brand. It became a cultural movement representing diverse beauty and style.

His vision merges high fashion with mass media, often blurring the line between runway and pop spectacle.

In 2022, Rousteing made headlines by bringing Cher onstage to close his stadium show — open to the public, in a bold move that merged fashion week with festival energy. It was a full-circle moment in Balmain’s longstanding relationship with music legends.

At the 2018 American Music Awards, Taylor Swift wore a futuristic Balmain minidress and thigh-high boots paired with snake jewelry — a look that shattered her “princess” image and aligned perfectly with her rebellious “Reputation” era.

For the 2022 Grammys, Rousteing worked with Lil Nas X on a fully custom Balmain wardrobe, including red carpet, stage and even backstage loungewear — showcasing the house’s boundary-pushing vision.

But no modern collaboration has been more significant than Rousteing’s ongoing partnership with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, whom he calls his “forever muse.” Their creative relationship began during her “Formation” tour and reached a peak at Coachella 2018, when Rousteing designed the wardrobe for Knowles-Carter and her 200-plus dancers and musicians. The performance, dubbed “Beychella,” became a fashion and cultural milestone.

In 2023, they deepened their collaboration with a 17-look couture collection, codesigned by Rousteing and Knowles-Carter as a tribute to both her musical journey and the Balmain archive. The looks debuted at the Grammys and Brit Awards and have already been cemented as major fashion moments.

A master of media and timing, Rousteing has an instinct for choosing the right celebrity at the right moment. He doesn’t just rely on established A-listers, he often works with talents before their big breakthroughs, which in turn helps create them.

Case in point: Tyla’s sculptural Balmain gown at the 2024 Met Gala — a body-hugging wet look crafted to resemble poured sand — fit the “Garden of Time” theme, but rather than an expected floral, he approached it with a new twist. It immediately went viral and became a defining moment for the rising singer to cement herself as a fashion force.

The following year, Jenna Ortega wore a Balmain creation made from silver tailoring tape and metallic rulers, an avant-garde nod to the artistry of couture construction. The look was clever and played up both the young actress’ star potential and her willingness to take risks just as she was emerging as a red carpet wild card.

What sets Rousteing apart is his sense of cultural timing, his instinct to see stars as storytellers and his ability to anticipate the culture, not just follow a trend, to carry forth the house of Balmain.