Synonymous with strong, maximalist glamour, Balmain has been empowering women since the label’s inception in 1946. Founded in post-war Paris, Pierre Balmain’s eponymous house was central to revolutionizing French style. Balmain’s debut show in October 1945 preceded Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ by two years and welcomed curve-enhancing silhouettes into the mix – think bell-shaped skirts nipped in at the waist. By 1947, Balmain had become an influential global powerhouse, at the fore of fashion’s new liberated direction. In 2011, at the age of just 25, Olivier Rousteing joined Balmain as Head Designer. The visionary’s intent: to reenergize Pierre Balmain’s design tropes for the modern woman.