Gone are the days when Balmain was a classic Parisian fashion house known for its ultra-elegant and feminine gowns and dresses. In 2005, the brand took a radical turn under designer Christophe Decarnin, who added plenty of chic attitude and rock edge — shooting Balmain to the top of favourite lists of fashion editors and stylists around the world. In 2011, Olivier Rousteing was announced the new designer for Balmain, charged with taking the sex-sparked brand into a new era. In the same year, the diffusion sister line, Pierre Balmain was introduced. Under the creative direction of Franck Durand, the line offers a range of stapled essentials that are much more accessibly priced than the main line, but still carries on the military-inspired elements and rock n’ roll character.