He packed his bags and started traveling.

He jetted off to America, not to talk about collections, but instead, following the directive of his friend Gertrude Stein, to act as a roving ambassador, criss-crossing the entire United States to deliver lectures on French culture and savoir-faire. He also jumped across the Channel, transporting his fresh new feminine take on couture to London, six years after the war had abruptly put an end to all imports of Parisian fashion. And, after an eight-day, multi-stop series of flights across half the globe, he touched down in Australia, bringing news of his “New French Style” to Down Under (and, of course, making sure to include a visit to the Sydney suburb of Balmain)!

Olivier Rousteing’s collection for Fall 2021 reflected on Pierre Balmain’s singular love of escaping. Taking place during lockdown, it could only be shown before a handful of followers—who all understood more than ever the lure of travel. Set inside the enormous Air France hangers at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, the collection saluted the brave spirit early pilots and astronauts.. It also highlighted the exceptional skills and commitment to excellence shared by airplane engineers, technicians and Balmain’s artisans, with the collection’s intricate embroideries inspired by the wiring, construction and mechanics of the sleek planes and engines that played key roles in that collection’s presentation.

Balmain’s collection of luggage and trunks finds inspiration in the beautiful trunks that Pierre Balmain’s grandfather, Alexandre Balmain, carried on his shoulders across Europe, more than 150 years ago. Alexandre built Balmain family fortune by traveling across central Europe in the 1800s, with his trunk full of merchandise, offering a selection of jewelry, ribbons and hardware to French, Swiss and German customers. Alexandre must have possessed great strength, since somehow he managed to carry his large trunk on his shoulders as he traveled, town to town, client to client—and that impressive container, with its 12 drawers, weighed 20kgs (44lbs) when empty—and it could weigh as much as 60kgs (133lbs) when full.

Balmain’s strong connections with the United States was highlighted in many French news reports of the time, as the press covered his many travels to Los Angeles, New York and towns and cities all across the country. These travels were something that his good friends Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas had advised him to do, since they knew there would be a big audience in their country for Balmain’s unique perspectives on couture, history and French savoir-faire.