[6][7] Balmain expected to reach a revenue of €150 million in 2017, 90% of which is generated by the wholesale channel, and is also putting more effort into direct retail.

He attended the École des Beaux-Arts in 1933–1934, with intent to study architecture but instead ended up spending the majority of his time designing dresses.

After peace was declared, he worked at Lucien Lelong and opened his own fashion house under his name[8] at 44, rue François 1er in Paris.

[9][10] In the period following World War II, Pierre Balmain was "a king of French fashion" and outfitted stars including Ava Gardner and Brigitte Bardot, the Nicaraguan first lady Hope Portocarrero,[11] and Queen Sirikit of Thailand.

Possibly the most influential designer to take over at Balmain was Oscar de la Renta, who led the house between 1993 and 2002.

He lived in New York City most of his life, although he was born in the Dominican Republic and became a naturalized United States citizen in 1971.

He favored expensive prices and flashy pieces that sharply contrasted with the label's reputation for its classic and luxurious designs.

[15] Rousteing had joined the company in 2009, after attending a prestigious French fashion school and working under Roberto Cavalli.

At the time of his appointment, Rousteing was a relatively unknown designer, and has brought a fresh take on the brand's aesthetic that remains to this day.

He was credited with adding an Asian influence to the clothing, as Asia comprises a huge part of the brand's buyers.

[23][24] In September 2023, Rousteing announced that a van holding over 50 designs for the fall 2023 show during Paris Fashion Week had been robbed while en route to the Balmain studio.

[27] In 1994, Balmain licensed Societe Creations Michel Firer to manufacture and distribute a diffusion collection of women's ready-to-wear.

[29][30] To highlight the collection, the photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin directed the model Abbey Lee Kershaw and her band, Our Mountain, in a series of three videos.

In 2018, Balmain joined forces with (RED) to auction off its custom-made looks for that year's Met Gala, with 100% of the proceeds going toward the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.