Circa 1975-1980
France
Black Grain de poudre kimono evening jacket by Pierre Balmain Haute Couture dating from the late 1970s. Loose fit with kimono sleeves and side slits, officer collar with front zip and matching rolled braid highlighting the chest. Black nylon taffeta lining with Pierre Balmain Paris signature cotton bolduc handwritten with the number 111036. Fluid, heavy fabric with impeccable fall and beautiful Haute Couture finishing. Minor repairs to the underarm seams (1 cm), absolutely invisible, the only flaw to be noted. Very good colour and condition.

Dimensions: French size 38-39. Shoulders 39, chest 96 cm, waist 88 cm, sleeves 55 cm, hips 105 cm, height 67 cm.

Pierre Balmain (1914-1982) was a leading French couturier who founded his own fashion house in 1945. He ran it until his death in 1982. In the 1950s, he embodied French elegance, with sober, pared-down lines that hugged the body, emphasising the bust and slimming the waist. A former architecture student, he presented his first sketches to Lanvin, Piguet and Lucien Lelong. Lucien Lelong hired him in 1941, where he met Christian Dior. Pierre Balmain presented his first collection on 12 October 1945 with a team of workers from Balenciaga. He excelled in loose-fitting coats with simple, clean lines, like this kimono jacket. Karl Lagerfeld was his assistant from 1955 to 1962.