Pierre Balmain, the creator of the famous French fashion house, praises a late designer friend.
Handwritten letter from Pierre Balmain to the widow of a fashion designer friend we have not yet identified, perhaps Molyneux or Lucien Lelong.
Three pages.
In French.
16 cm x 20 cm.
October 12, year not informed.
Excellent condition of conservation.
Unique piece.
Excerpts
If you lose a lot, we all lose in him an understanding friend and a man of good taste who worked all his life for elegance and quality (...). And suddenly all the memories of that trusting and pleasant collaboration with this great textile master come back to my mind - these memories weave my entire life as a couturier - from the rue Royale to the rue François 1er, passing through the avenue Matignon (...) preserving in this profession that he loved a true quality of creation to help our country maintain its supremacy in the world (...). Pierre Balmain
Pierre Balmain (1914 - 1982) is the fashion designer who created the famous French luxury brand of the same name. This seemed to be his destiny, as Balmain's father was the owner of a clothing wholesaler and his mother ran a fashion boutique with her sisters, where the young Balmain was exposed to beautiful women and clothes.
After working for other designers, such as the young Christian Dior, he founded his own fashion house in 1945. The first collection was presented in Vogue magazine with the journalist commenting: "beautiful clothes that you really want to wear" . Balmain quickly spread his brand internationally and designed avant-garde clothes for stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and princesses and queens from all over the world.
The fame and success of the Balmain brand grew steadily over the decades, becoming a multinational company with over 600 employees. Interestingly, Balmain discovered another great talent, Karl Lagerfeld, whom he hired in 1954 after judging a competition in which the young Austrian designer won.
Letters written by great French fashion designers are rare, most of which are preserved in museums or by the haute couture houses themselves. This autograph document, in addition to being in excellent condition, long and entirely handwritten, with a large signature, is particularly interesting because Pierre Balmain speaks of fashion and his pride in France, through a tribute to another deceased designer.
