dress & jacket

Pierre Balmain, Paris 1914 - 1982

Summary

Cream silk day ensemble, the silk figured with tiny green and pink rosebuds. Sleeveless summer dress with intricately pleated cross-over shoulder straps and very full 'New Look' skirt; fastening full length cf with 13 spherical pink buttons; large patch pockets. Matching cropped jacket with half length sleeves with cuffs, 6 matching pink buttons, pale pink silk faille lining and matching wide ties at the neck. Dress labelled 'Pierre Balmain, Paris' and numbered '71832'. From the AH 1954 collection. Worn by Mrs Barbara O'Connell who was born in the mid 1920s. and purchased by her husband, Roy, from Balmain's house in Paris in 1954. Although she wore it herself, it was imported, with others, to England to be used as a pattern for Bestway paper patterns. Mr O'Connell was the chief editor of the Amalgamated Press, and a francophile who wanted French couture to be more widely copied in England. He also acquired at least 6 other Balmain outfits in the early-mid 1950s (all sold at the same Christie's sale on 4.3.08 - this was lot 274). He acquired model garments direct from the couture shows twice a year. At about the same time, he bought outfits from Dior and Hartnell in London (see 2008.50) Mrs O'Connell recalled meeting Balmain ('charming'), and Hartnell in the early 1950s at their Couture Houses, and also Dior in the south of France. See L'Officiel, Sept 1954, p.26 for the dress entitiled: Balmain "come Mia Nonna" de Burg, in a silk by Seterie. See also Hartnell 2008.50