L'ÉTERNEL
COUTURIER

This immersive journey spotlights the House’s defining pillars and signatures, from 1945 to today, finding its rightful home in New York: the city that, together with Paris, shaped Pierre Balmain’s pioneering vision and the House’s ever-evolving identity.

Explores Pierre Balmain’s profound bond with New York, sparked by his first visit in 1946 shortly after opening his Paris atelier. Captivated by the city’s vibrant energy, he returned frequently - not only as a couturier but also as an “ambassador of French civilization” - delivering lectures across America and cultivating relationships with intellectuals and celebrities like Gertrude Stein, Josephine Baker, and Juliette Gréco. Here, in 1970, he opened his first boutique on Madison Avenue, where fifty years later the Maison will return with a new flagship store under Creative Director Olivier Rousteing.

Traces the evolution of the tailored jacket, which debuted in Pierre Balmain’s inaugural 1945 collection and remains a timeless icon. Inspired by Breton sailors’ uniforms, the couturier recoded functional elegance through audacious tailoring. Sculpted shoulders and nipped waists defined his signature “Jolie Madame” silhouette, rocketing the six-button jacket to instant fame. Over decades, the Balmain Jacket evolved into a symbol of empowered style and aesthetic continuity.

Showcases the Balmain "Labyrinth" monogram—interlocking P and B initials multiplied into an emblem of the House’s bold identity. Introduced in 1970, the pattern reflected Pierre Balmain’s passion for French châteaux, classical architecture, and the beauty of Italian Renaissance gardens. Adorning bags and ready-to-wear, it became a signature, most notably dominating the Summer 1971 Haute Couture collection.

Unveils Pierre Balmain’s iconic costumes and inspiration from trailblazing women whose bold artistry reshaped culture and redefined femininity. He dressed magnetic figures like Brigitte Bardot (The Bride Is Much Too Beautiful) and Vivien Leigh (The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone), alongside Katharine Hepburn, Cyd Charisse, Sophia Loren, and Joan Fontaine. Today, the House continues dressing and drawing energy from a new generation of music and pop culture icons who, like their predecessors, defy conventions and set new rules.

Celebrates the bold, visionary women who influenced Pierre Balmain’s worldview and inspired his creative ethos- from courageous, chic mother to intellectuals like Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas; to rule-breakers he dressed in confident refinement; and to queens and princesses navigating tradition and modernity. With each creation, the designer honored the courage, determination, and inherent poise of the formidable women who shaped his world and changed the world itself.