A few hours before its show, the Balmain house is on deck, in full swing to succeed in amaze the press, the customers and Rihanna. We are very late. It's going to be complicated. Pierre Balmain is the first to have always made Paris and the world dream after the horrors of war in 1945. And even today, his headless house in this mission: to dazzle despite the crises. Honestly, after that, we pop champagne. Balmain is independent, the team is small, united around its very young creator, Olivier Rousteing. 28 years old, a pile of energy and ideas, new
generation, new way of creating fashion. I think he has the best and worst position. Tall and short, big shoulders, short skirts. Rihanna is a fan and you have to come to the fashion show. Well, that, if all goes well. Everything is working against me. How can a young designer that no one expected take over an old French house, a symbol of chic and extravagance, bring with him the workshop veterans and fanhysterical interns, survive the pressure to impress the gallery, that's the line Balmain. On day zero of the collection, we discover the atmosphere. The racks are
empty, nothing is ready. There, we are at 0.3%. And point three is like... I don't even know what that would be. There you go, it's happy face. Olivier Rousteing is surrounded by his close team. Group spirit, we know each other very well and an atmosphere so relaxed that we can allow ourselves to contradict the creator. I don't think it's too much of a story. No, but I'm tired of doing something and you're all... It doesn't mean we win, but we have the right to try. I tried. You have your patronage, I mean. The working method
is very strange, frankly unprecedented. Here, no classic preparatory drawing, no draping session on the model either, but a panel filled with photos of outfits from the pre-collection which has just been presented. And we retouch directly on the photo. We add, we erase, we exaggerate. The new collection will be an extension of the previous one so that customers' eyes can see it. In fact, there are volumes that we don't have time to review or redo. So, we start from pre-coll’ to go faster. As for me, there are silhouettes that I have in my head, that I
want to evolve, that I want to completely change or twist. We draw embroidery with a felt-tip pen, we tape a detail, we tip-ex, we crop, we repeat. It’s creation that looks like copy and paste. A belt becomes a bustier by being copied and pasted or another orange belt is multiplied to obtain a skirt. The one who defines the Balmain line is Olivier Rousteing. He was 26 years old when the public discovered him and applauded him for the first time on September 28, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. Anna Wintour, forced to clean her sunglasses because they're so
dazzling, Balmain, it sparkles. Olivier Rousteing's signature at Balmain is leather used as if it were cotton. Impressive, extreme embroidery, bordering on the rigid. We went to the Met Ball together once. She couldn't even eat. Do you remember? I was like that. She couldn't eat. She said: Olivier, I think I have a problem. Can you undress me? He had to feed me all evening. All evening. Women streamlined to the cube, shouldered busts, but reduced by their raised waist. When the press discovered his raffia, rattan and plastic dresses inspired by chairs he saw in Miami and Cuba,
the reaction was stunned. He enters the restricted circle of respected creators. We'll start sewing soon. That’s sewing, that. Its ready-to-wear is so status-worthy that it becomes couture. In just a few seasons, Olivier Rousteing won the esteem not only of editors, but also of the stars who wear him, like Beyoncé or Rihanna. The latter agrees to pose for her advertising campaign. At the beginning of the Balmain line, there is this, a rope dress so complex that to imagine it, you have to make a paper sarcophagus. 3D patterns, a practical virtuosity specific to Balmain to successfully visualize
the final result, but also to iron out technical difficulties. But this dress, initially white, did not convince and it had to be dyed yellow at the last minute and using system D. When you create a fashion show, and you want to have certain yellow silhouettes and you go realize that you didn't throw enough yellow clothes. So we have to find a solution. And we tried to reach it and it was actually just the embroidery that cost €25,000 and we basically destroyed it. So, we said to ourselves: We looked all over Paris for markers to color
it. So there are all the little trainees who are coloring for hours and days. Trying on the yellow dress which turns out to be tapered. Be careful, zip problem, how far to lower it to combine portability and sensitivity. I'm complicating the situation. No, no, no. There is a Playmobil side. We're going to finish the front because it bothers you rather than ironing. Like that, we tried it again. Balmain is a French-style house, world-renowned, but small. There is Balmain perfume, but it is the ready-to-wear sales that are the driving force of the house. An institution where
wedding dresses are offered to employees who are getting married. The management is still at 44, rue François Iᵉʳ, where Pierre Balmain founded the brand, but the studio has moved two buildings away, very close to the Champs metallicé. And here, around a central courtyard, everything is on one floor. Olivier Rousteing's office, where he does fittings with the models, with a mini photo studio. Right next door, a kind of experimental cabinet, where hundreds of processes are created, stripped of crazy materials, improbable crocodile and gold canework, metallic, studded panthers, reconstituted zebras, hybridized tartans . It inspires Olivier a
lot, for the collection, to develop things, to propose ideas, to mix different materials. It’s between embroidery and textiles. Then, next door, there is the office of the tireless modelers Gloria and Valérie. A sewing workshop, marketing offices, a kitchen laboratory, a fabric stock, a traditional workshop and there is the corridor of glory, where the finished models parade which we are sure will appear on the catwalk. In fact, it's impressive because the corridor, for us, is a bit of a guarantee that the collection is made. Because there, for example, the corridor is empty. Day after day it
fills up, but considerably. And at the end, after a night before the show and everything, when everything is full, we're like that, we say to ourselves: Damn, one week, we got there. From a practical point of view, this means that if Olivier Rousteing is inspired in the morning by, say, a peplum suit from the Balmain archive, he can go and choose his fabric from stock, have a pattern made by pattern makers, have the fabric cut in the workshop, have the peplum fitted. A little short, my skirt. Have it validated. And for the evening, the peplum
is tried on in his office on the top model who will wear it to the fashion show and photo op. I have no patience. They know that it has to happen very quickly, otherwise I'll move on to another idea. Or sometimes, they know that if it doesn't go faster, I'll ask them for four coats. Maybe they say to themselves that they would be better off doing one and going quickly, rather than asking for four because they haven't seen one. For the ideal fitting, everything is done on the same floor, in record time. This is the
typically Parisian method and this is how, starting from 0.3%, we eventually manage to put together the great puzzle of a fashion show. An icon of the contemporary Balmain line is Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hollywood model and actress, Balmain woman, from head to toe. From head to toe. From. Head to toe. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is the prototype of the conqueror who fascinates Olivier Rousteing. I know what I want. Formidable, whatever team you play on. She can make any gay man straight. When she gets dressed behind the screen, her confrontation with the Balmain wardrobe will spark. Olivier Rousteing places himself
at her feet, we bring her back, the parade begins. Pay attention to the artifice of the silhouette. The waist is so high that it is only a quarter of a perfecto, a new kind of bra. A double belt, a paneled peplum, a Regarde skirt, sealed with cabochon, 12 heels, we're not here to joke. Anatomical subterfuge, as if the legs began under the breasts. Testing validated in five minutes and presto, we unzip, sparkle. Second fitting, it will be with this dress that we discovered in paper, then displayed for hours and hours. A very sophisticated weave of
leather and plastic, a black sheath. I like this almost handicap in my clothes. Is it flexible? No. No, it's very rigid, but it's good. It makes you alive. Like when you wear uncomfortable heels, it makes you look good. She's a badass. To properly define the Balmain line, you need an assistant who steers the boat and a stylist with an outside eye. So, Amanda is the collaborator who knows everything, who micromonitors everything. She knows the collection by heart and down to the tiniest details. The more technical it is, the more infallible it is. We wanted to
check and ask him, it's not a very nice test, how many folds there are on the Basques. Thirteen ? I'm one of his assistants, so I'm supposed to know everything that's going on. I love creating things. I don't know if I like fashion. I like to develop new things. I fell into it by chance. I think it's a great industry where you get to develop things and share them. People wear them and you get immediate feedback on what you're doing. And the other essential during all the fittings, the impartial look, is Luca, the consultant stylist.
Basically, we're great friends. We dreamed of Rihanna's music videos in front of us and today, he's super close to her. It's very weird. You have to console him, you have to talk to him. I don't know if it's right to say it on camera that Olivier doesn't correspond at all to the image he gives off. He is a very shy person, even if he is very happy and we often see him in a tank top, half naked, etc. That is to say that we always see him very sure of himself, etc., when he is not
at all. And we laugh. Is this someone fragile? On one level, yes, very much so, I think. But he is also someone who is very determined to be where he is, at the age he is. It's not just Olivier Rousteing who works half naked. So, it's these images of Pierre Balmain, yes, it's him who does draping sessions in public. And here Olivier Rousteing is justified in his micro-t-shirts, since Balmain assumed it before him. General mobilization, even in administrative offices, everyone puts their hand to the rag. Patricia, whose job it is not, finds herself with the
very delicate task of unknitting an orange marmot sweater. It's a painstaking job. We want to shorten it. And the way it's done, we have to remove hair by hair. In fact, it's leather, it's fur that is cut into slices, into strips. And these little strips passed through the net. There is a 16 centimeter strip of fur to remove. The cut is slow, but must be regular and uniform. A clumsy swipe of the scissors and the sweater falls apart. In order not to do anything stupid, we have to take things slowly. So here, I'm going to
cut here. There, I cut the thing and I unravel it on one side and I unravel it on the other side. That's it, but I'm having fun doing this. I adore. Since I worked at Balmain, I have always helped people with sewing at the last minute and I have always found myself on things like that, a little improbable. My job is to buy fabrics. In fact, I have a basic sewing qualification. And so there you have it. So, I returned to Balmain a long, long, long time ago. My position has become very administrative because that's
what I chose to do. But it's true that during the This collection, it's great because somehow, I don't tell anyone, I sort of choose what I want to do. And that allows you to catch up a little. If everyone gets involved, that's good. What Patricia is doing is actually a Balmain tradition. In July 1949, while a strike by sewing workers paralyzed the Parisian fashion houses , the saleswomen, the secretaries, the management, all the Balmain staff pitched in and together finished the collection on time. When I arrived here, at Balmain, there was a workshop manager who
had been there for 25 years and I said to myself: Hey, she's been climbing the same stairs for 25 years, but how does she do it? And for me, it's been 17 years and I haven't felt like I've been doing the same thing for 17 years. So, that's good. Three hours later, there she is. There's a big hole there. Like this you can see what it's like underneath. Come back tomorrow instead. We will have a little dark circles under our eyes, then we will have made better progress. Because there, phew. With this sweater, everything is
a headache. To try, we put pins to mark the new length. No, they're not safety pins. Do you want me to wear safety pins? I'll take you back. No, we're going to tear it up. So, we start again with safety pins. Shit, I can't do it. Besides, when you have to go fast, you do a bit of anything. THANKS. I hope they don't want it shortened to the head. We bet that's what's going to happen. I hope you don't have anything to do tonight. Now, for one thing... I think we'll spend a few more hours
there. I told myself it would be possible. Come on, see him again at your meal. Yeah. Fitting. It's very good. But it's far from over. And there, the chef’s surprise. He wants to keep the fishnet at the bottom so that it can be held taut under the cheek. Are you keeping it until the end? Until the end, until the end. Yeah. Nothing. Because you can always put it in the cheek to pull the leather well. Wait, wait. You must therefore cut everything out, unknit all the way down, but without ever damaging the mesh. Obviously, the
safety pins got tangled in the fur and are literally impossible to remove. No, I can't cut it because there's fishnet underneath. I'm in the fishnet there. Trouble, cutting up. It's always the same story, when you have the right tools. And the good news is that the red sweater problem also exists in a yellow version and even worse. We try it on the Reilly model, with a very elaborate peplum, also filled with pins. Be careful, there are pins. In the Basque? Yes. No, they replaced it with pins. No, I just pricked myself with pins. It's hot
on her, though. It's so beautiful. It looks very beautiful on you. It is Verrecchia, in the workshop, who must finish the basque in zebra, metal and leather. It's like the puzzle. There, we only see small bits. Do you see? And there, once, when we focus on the person, it's something else. In a way, it's a dream, you could say. We cannot avoid, not be amazed by the beauty of embroidery, the imagination of our stylist and his team. When we go, it's really something. We can also say that it's hard to do, but that's another story.
When we see how beautiful it is, we forget all the trouble we had to make it. I come from Croatia. I finished my studies, I arrived in France to spend my vacation. And then my vacation which lasts 40 years already. Already, I really liked literature and there, it allowed me to read, especially Balzac, to read in French. He likes his characters. Too bad sometimes it ends badly, but hey, we're going to die one day too, right? The Balmain studio is tearing their hair out over this riveted crossover top. We try it, but we're not convinced.
Heavy look. We have already spent days and nights there, the modelers feel it. We'll have to paddle dry on this top. We are going to change the model, so we readjust, except that the garment is very delicate and cannot be done. I'm like, I don't know which girl it's going to be about yet. If the girl arrives at 7:00 in the evening, it's going to be hot. That. Lack of drama, right? The one. He defined this line. Louis, Pierre Balmain. He had the arch of his shoulders, the nose of a boxer, the hands of a
craftsman who drew with a lively line. From 1939 to 1945, Pierre Balmain spent the war working at Lucien Lelong with another stylist colleague, Christian Dior. The newsreels film their followers on the Champs-Élysées, near the Soldatenkino. Two more dressy outfits for the afternoon. Fashion adapted to the times, little volume, because of material restrictions, sporty cuts, because women have to ride bikes. For cycling, a laundry set. And then there is liberation. Pierre Balmain learns that the occupants have just liberated 44, rue François Iᵉʳ. Impulsive, he decides to take the plunge and establish his brand there. When he
leaves Lucien Lelong, Dior bursts into tears. This will be the end of their friendship. Dior will wait a few more years to dare to go solo. Balmain was the first, felt that if the economic reality of Paris is harsh, Paris is a party, a party, a party, a party, a party, a party, a party, a party, a party, a party, a party . The Stock Exchange in Bély, we want to dance, the economic locomotive is starting again, we want to toast. This charming young woman is one of the young women in Paris who have nothing
to wear. In 1945, Paris could not believe that it had not been destroyed. The trauma of the war is still raw, but the end of hostilities will lead to the period of greatest euphoria of the century. Balmain's first fashion show took place in October 1945. He designed quickly and created the fashion that women expected. The exact opposite of the war years. The writer Gertrude Stein is there and describes the event in Vogue: The Duchess of Windsor takes immediate command. These waists are fitted, tapered lines, bell-shaped dress for a prosperous, even wealthy, woman, refined right down
to the astonishing umbrella head. Accessories are increasingly sought after. The Balmain wardrobe, from the outset, is made for the day, but especially the night. Amplitude and opulence rediscovered. Froufrou, lightness, city suit, afternoon dress but above all cocktail dress. Negligee for small dinners, dress for large dinners, ceremonial toilets, castle toilets with corselet effect, organza, taff taff plumetis, silk waist, white satin. And when the Galliera museum organizes a retrospective of his clothes that we only saw in black and white, we realize that they are all in hysterical colors. Balmain is even known for its furs dyed in
very bright colors. A tradition that Olivier Rousteing takes up. The creation of Jolie Madame, this spirit, this silhouette, this woman who brought it to French couture, is something that I always want to keep in mind, but in my own way, with my generation, with my ideas . Jolie Madame, it was a very structured, very feminine silhouette, with basques. We highlighted the hips, we tightened the waist, we exaggerated the shoulders a little. And besides that, the Jolie Madame had a length like today in my collection, a mid-calf length. The whole world is spying on Balmain. The
success was such that in two years, the first perfume was launched. Pierre Balmain dresses the Star System, the royals Catherine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, the Italian actress Sofia Loren, but also Joséphine Baker in total extravagance and Brigitte Bardot in a petal wedding dress for the needs of a film. In 1955, he created the model of a young candidate in the prestigious wool competition, Karl Lagerfeld. He became his assistant for several years. In the decades that followed, Balmain was described as the couturier of the ornamental. Pierre Balmain, you who are the ambassadors’ couturier. Some evening dresses are
embroidered very richly, although never ostentatiously. June 29, 1982. Pierre Balmain died. He was 68 years old. Pierre Balmain worked until the end. Sick with cancer, he continued to draw on his hospital bed. A month after his death, the house's couture show took place. The workshops executed his sketches, but as the master did not have time to define the fabrics, the models were left blank like virginal canvases. The emotion was great and the collection won the Dédor, the greatest fashion award of the time. Eric Mortensen will take over for 10 years. He was his most faithful
assistant since 1948. In the last hours before the show, the Balmain galaxy was set up. The models pass through the front door, heading towards the front of Olivier Rousteing's office. The drama, the sound system loud, it's the Jolie Madame cavalcade. Olivier Rousteing dresses them and... I like music. Can I have my own rhythm? And it is the Festival of the Balmain Woman, the Conqueror, the Self-confident, the warrior, the Amazon, the Quiet, the clumsy, the pair of legs, the Sensual. We add shoulder pads to make the invincible Ania Rubik even more square. There is the news
like Binks, she already has Lucas on the hood. She's even more jittery than the others because she's a beginner, but she convinces, thumbs up, photo. There is the one who looks at herself in the mirror, stunned, ecstatic at the transformation, at which point she has just instantly mutated into a machine of seduction. Great, great, great. It's one of the powers of fashion, looking at yourself in the mirror and suddenly finding yourself bombastic, powerful. Amazing. Huge. I adore. She can't believe it, she puts on a creole as big as a star. Olivier Rousteing goes with Lucas,
taken from the large wardrobe in the hallway. They both throw themselves in sync on the girl. Lucas opens a pass on the left. They are side by side, standing or sitting. They remove together, they cancel together. It doesn't work. Masses, in my opinion. We We lift the little coat, we put the little coat back on. And they walk the floor, the thermonuclear, the killer, the feline. She's so funky that people throw dollar bills at her as she passes. And Lucas ends up walking with her. It's never over. So, one point yellow dress, there are five
of them. Valuable trainee at the beginning, no worries, heart to the work. The chick color drawing workshop is complicated, the dress is made of several materials which react differently to the felt. Then there are four, then three. You have to resist, then two. It's mental. Miss, you are being filmed. And night falls. We are still. Always touched because there are places that are too dark. And finally, all alone, Jane, the last One hour survivor, zen meditation exercise in yellow. I actually colored a dress for three days. I'm exhausted. The workshops are full of energy like
an electrical factory. Yeah, it takes energy. Downright. We must not stress because there are many around us. So for us, if we stress, we work poorly. We have a job where we have to I'm not specific. If we're stressed, we can't be anymore. I am temporary. I go from house to house. All the people who work in workshops will be able to say that at the end of the collections, we all feel bad, we all want to change jobs. But let's start again. So there must be something we like. Geopolitical attention, Verika, the Croatian, is
next to Vlado, the Serb. My name is Vlado. And where are you from? I come from Serbia. Marto, like this, just in case. We are cousins, brothers and sisters. No, it's true. In contrast to the youth of the studio, there is the old school of workshops like ARBI. There is never a limit. Until now, I'm still learning things. We discover things, we do experiments, and it's not put together like a normal piece of clothing. No. You need everything, each model, you have to find a system to assemble it. This is what is complete, it is
at the same time. That's it. How long has he been doing this job, ARBI 50 years. I am retired. We are two retired old people here. They call us old people anyway. I can't leave my team like that, because we have allied friendship,... How can I put it? Complicity, work, etc. So we can't leave like that. No, it doesn't matter. No, we've known each other for 33 years. We follow each other. And him, at the end of his career, and me too. Like two brothers, with symmetrical mustaches, Larbi and Vlado, inseparable, at the coffee break,
because yes, you need coffee and a lot of coffee to keep up the frantic pace. The two of us are 130 years old. More than that? Almost 132 years old. And we are still working. We kept our health Okay. More and more, more and more, more and more. We're good, anyway. Are you okay? Yes, we are very, very good. I race with my children, they never manage to beat me. In terms of technicality, the tension is at its maximum when the top model, John Smalls, arrives to try on the riveted leather crossover top. That’s how
it happens at Balmain. We pierce the breasts. Yes. A large clip is placed in the back to temporarily adjust. Olivier Rousteing is worried and when he is worried, he walks around to ruminate on what is bothering him. It has to be perfect, otherwise we cancel the crossover top, meaning hours of work for nothing. And the wall of the modelers' office is already filled with tombstones, or clothes developed for eventual disposal. Momentarily, John Smalls' confidence seems to convince, but there is work to be done. You have to tighten everything, it drops, so I don't know. That
suits her very, very well, in any case, it's sublime on her. How we found the girl who will wear it. Afterwards, it's not sewing, it's the limit of the mechanism, of being a mechanic to do it. Because you always have to readjust with the little rings. It's not easy. It's like armor, actually. I treat it more like armor than clothing. The seamstresses are beginning to be overwhelmed by stress. This will be the last chance, because if it doesn't work, I think I will be fired. Quite simply. Already, it's a week of patronage. And then Olivier
cares a lot about his feet getting tired. I think that if it doesn't work, either he persists and I'll have it all night. Either, he says: We stop. It's hot there. Interns contribute to the energy of the house. Through their feverish desire to be there, they remind the elders of the vitality of the beginnings. Ludovic, who helps at all stages of manufacturing and production, was already spotted a few years ago in front of a Balmain fashion show, trying to get the inlay at the last moment. Flowing and contagious good humor. That's really great because in
every house, we don't have the chance to see everything that's going on. And there, you can view yourself and really witness each step. So that’s really super interesting. And everyone sees Olivier Rousteing's youth as proof that one can arrive quickly in this environment. Olivier, I think he 's just a genius. He's super talented, he's super young. I think we all admire it. The first collection he did for Balmain was just incredible. Who called small squads and inventive techniques, called creative DIY. Thus, trainees at Balmain experience an endless course of practical work. They learn the tricks
of mindless brand-bours, how to put rivets on leather and how to dye. Like here, Steven, 18 years old, who handles the pan of yellow dye like a pro. I have a model that is yellow and as a result, they don't have the cut edge, it is white. So, suddenly, they want to dye. And because they have to make the model quite quickly. Here, it's forbidden to bring food into the kitchen because cooking is an arsenal of resourcefulness and inventions. It's very easy since they are quite special colors. So, you have to at least mix to
get the right color. There, it's not bad. It will come apart when I place it under water. But be careful, the dye must be accepted by the tough guys in the workshop. It's not good. All that. It has to be done again. And again for Steven. It happens to me all the time. Going back and forth. If I make more stains , it won't do it. Last fitting of the yellow dress. Damn, this yellow dress, I'm going to throw it up, I think. On the very demonstration of the typically Balmain event dress, which makes a
splash, both in an evening and on a bank account. It's a dress that should cost, in my opinion, €20,000. In the world, we have to sell 30, 40, 50. It's also a reality in the world, that there are women who want that. You have to be horny. At the same time, you are at Balmain. Constancy. Jablonski is a regular at Balmain shows. The French model has the look to match the house. We feel like a goddess, sublime. We feel strong, in fact. She inherits a leather belt that is very difficult to adjust. Constance, you stay
with us. Although, I don't know if you 're really going to stay with us. Yes, it's good. No. In fact, you just have to... That's it. The drama on the podium. Constance Jablonski, very young, died from a belt that was too tight. You. Did you have one? I have. Got one, though. You're building muscles there. Are you breathing, is it still okay? As she is still breathing, we add the Massai necklace, massive, and the performance, chic market within the constraints of the tightest belt in the world. What is important is the very, very flexible back
point and the waist. When it is marked by a belt, this belt is embedded in the jacket. It's sublime on her. It's very, very beautiful. Bad surprise. Just when we think the ordeal of the yellow dress is almost over, Amanda, Olivier Rousteing's technical right-hand woman , arrives inspected and suddenly, Amanda, mercilessly, meticulous and scrupulous. New pitfall, you actually have to disassemble the dress completely to dye the lining yellow. It was obvious, but it had to be the last day for us to think about it. So, we're going to undo the lining and then, Steven will
be happy to make us a yellow dye. Great. Hot comment. It's my last day, so I have to finish on a high note. Once the lining is dyed, who will be responsible for rebuilding the yellow dress and its lining? I'm sorry for shaking. It's very good. It makes me laugh. My hands are shaking. My hands are shaking. In the middle of the night, John Smalls returns to try on the leather crossover top. Maximum pressure for exhausted modelers. Another defect to fix on the zip. John Smalls is asked to put his shoulders forward. A more flattering
posture and that's it. Very real relief than in general. The crossover top is therefore not canceled, but there are still a few hours of adjustment remaining. Patricia worked tirelessly, the grid of the red sweater appears little by little. I can't work. The stack is full. Yes. But I put that on the surface so that people would believe that I was working. And then, we have the impression of being at the local poultry shop. And in the end, we try again. Validation corridor. Triumph. Except that in the panic of unraveling, we forgot another, crucial detail. At
night, the pedometer panics. We walk the corridors constantly going from the workshops to the studio. Nervousness rises in the workshops when Ludovic, the intern, comes to pick up models for yet another fitting. The Bounty revolts. The veteran Vlado, frustrated at not being able to finish, refuses to give his model. No, it's nothing. I don't care about the fitting, now I want to finish it, because it's already been there ten times. All right. I'm going to communicate there - Not in front of the camera, you're going to annoy me there. All right. We are going to
love Philippe. I tried ten times, but never finished. So we're back at it, but with feminine charm. Do you want a vest too? Yes, this is the vest to try them on a mannequin, there. With a woman, anyway. For what ? What happened before? I'm going to turn the sleeves over, you see, we have to finish. Now you have to turn them inside out. If we go back to the other side , we're going to break the thing. Afterwards, I have to go back again, once, second time. Roll up your sleeves, go, go back. We're
never going to finish it, that's true. Labor busts are rationed. Have n't you been with this model for long? Um, yeah, I think I need two hours, three hours, a minute. Another one, can't you use another one? Final changes take time. You need good eyes. I'm going to sew the body on top of the tank because it's a little dragged everywhere and it's not pretty. Basically, it should be like this, more tidy. And when we can finish, it’s the body that gives up. What's happening to you? Well, I have tendonitis. Tendonitis? Yes. Because of work?
Yes. It's hard. Plus, it's leather. The material is leather all the time. The day before the very first Balmain show in 1945, 24 people showed up. It was a sleepless night, it was fading away. Pierre Balmain's mother participated and the one who slept for a quarter of an hour did so on the floor with rolls of fabric for pillows. To hold and circulate the blood well, some have recipes like Charlotte, the photographer. Distribution of rewards for trainees, bracelets which are left behind for backstage access. Tomorrow is their first parade. They are downright excited. Suddenly, I
will be able to be backstage, dressing the models, being in the thick of things. Olivier Rousteing hides behind the workshop door to make a champagne surprise, distribute bubbles, toast, greet the troops. A little hand, these famous little hands which are touching. I just wanted to thank you, I'll apologize. Thanks for everything. In the last scene, Catherine, I gave 25 medals to workers who had been in my house for 20 and 25 years. But there's no need to bring sparkling wine into the modelers' office. Do you know what lemons are for? Apparently they already have what
it takes. Where is the punch hidden? Where is he hidden? Am I hot or cold? I have a sweatshop under my office. This one is Lorena's. Only fresh fruit. Still, it must be said. A pineapple or lime? So, we sacrificed ourselves. First, the lemon punch. You have big ones, of course. He is strong. And then, the pineapple punch. Health. Come on, Loïc. Yes, it was treacherous, it swayed, it became blurry. The concretely magical moment was when Vlado, with his hand, the last label on the last garment, exactly like others, had done it before him on
the night of October 11 to 12, 1945, for the first fashion show. . The Pierre Balmain collection by Olivier Rousteing is ready. At Petit Matin, hungover, Paris in the rain, head to the parade at city hall. I just have a really bad headache. I don't know if that wasn't Valérie's punch last night. Do you see what I mean? The singer Rihanna lurks in Olivier Rousteing's mind. She has to come to the event. We are very united. She helps me a lot, she supports me a lot. And that makes me very happy. And of course there
is the threat of criticism. Anyway, this is where you stick the host, where you don't stick at all. You can't say... Especially since there is always a fairly big bias. And there, I think that the bias is even more gigantic than the other seasons. But all the more exciting because it’s all the more me. So, I would assume the consequences of my actions. We meet at the very baroque town hall. And there, grand staircase, giant slides, ceiling height, lustrous crystals, banquet hall, 800 square meters of gilding, monumental reproduction of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
The podium is a 50 meter black mirror that is bricked like the deck of a narcissistic ship. Makeup artist Tom Pécheux Hello. Explain to his friends the face of the day. Here we are talking about quality, not quantity. So the less you put, the better you know. It's not about visible makeup, it's about girls looking their best without makeup. This season, the eyebrow is a little more present. The rest is very natural. If you do the massage, it's already 80% of the work saved. Nothing theatrical. She's the Balmain cosmetic signature, a very ornate girl, but
who does n't seem to wear her hair or makeup. The day before was a little difficult, so we distribute vitamin C. The trainees are here. Debbie knows security, having harassed him for seasons trying to cheat her way in without an invitation. It's cool now to meet the people we were with. Please, please, can I go home? And now I'm here, I have the badge and everything. That's so cool. Isabelle, the head of the workshop, puts clothes on the racks and each item of clothing has been a journey. It was transparent at first, so we doubled
it in the front to have the chest. We added a pair of shoulder pads to enhance it a little. The pair of shoulder pads could be seen on the back, so we shortened it on the back so that it wouldn't be seen. And finally, normally, it's good. Amanda, the hard drive of the collection, gives her hyper-specific instructions to everyone , with a simple recommendation: if there is a problem, scream. If you have the slightest problem, you cry for help. If it breaks, if there's the slightest problem. Modelers are on all fronts. Gloria Kou between two
racks and Valérie in emergency mode on the yellow dress decidedly rich in trials. Mission: take an effective look at the zip that threatens to come up during the parade. We're going to block it. She must not go higher while walking. Ludovic helps to replace the rings which prove recalcitrant or irregular. There are the typical little panics, like when you realize almost too late that the collar of the two orange and yellow marmot sweaters is only held together by safety pins. In the rush to cut them out at the bottom, we didn't adjust the top. You
have to quickly attach strips with hooks. You want a D. It's like a It's a button, but it's a little hook. Normally this would take a good three hours. Here, less than 20 minutes ago. Outside, the crowd is gathering. Olivier Rousteing puts his brake backstage, frozen. He observes, the stress is building within him. His American press secretary tries to reassure him. There are so many strong things for fashion series. It's really very good. Journalist Tim Blanks tries to reassure him. Look at this. It's incredible. Yes, it's all leather lace. The photographer tries to reassure him.
High five. I'm stressed for you. See, I'm going to say something, I'm freaking out. Rosie and Tinkton-Whiteley tries to reassure him. It's really good. Do you like the collection? I adore. But he knows it, the Americans are arriving, the Russians, the Chinese, the English, the Italians, the Japanese, the journalists, the editors, the buyers, the bloggers, the TV shows, the fashion students, all ready for the coup. the rope dress, turned yellow thanks to the bottomless well of patience of a small army. They eat their nails. He poses with the models, but his eye is lost in
the vagueness. They sigh. They stand in a corner, eat their hands. The wait is torture. Pierre Balmain was very superstitious before a presentation. The only time he forgot to wear his favorite scarf, he was hit by a car on the way to the parade. He twists his arms in anguish and there appears out of nowhere the great fashion journalist, Suzy Menkes. You look nervous, but if you like your collection, everyone will like it. Yeah. She's cute. But problem and size, Rihanna is not there. Really, I'm freaking out now. Honestly, I'm freaking out. I say to
myself: No, the parade is for her. The parade is her. She's the Balmain girl, she's my muse. Has she arrived or not? No, no, no, she has to come. No, I beg you. Olivier, she's ten minutes away, so let's get started. No, we can wait. We can wait. I can't. You put on some classical music. No, no, no. Everyone is there. We have to find a solution. The room is full and impatient. 50 minutes late. It’s already 3:50 p.m. There is another parade scheduled for 4:00 p.m. In 10 minutes, the show is over. It's not
that it lasts either. People, that's it, they 're all alone. For 20 minutes. From. 3 p.m. Yeah, since 3 p.m. Yeah, since 3 p.m. Yeah, but... Outside, with the hustle and bustle, Paris looks like this. Rihanna's car is not moving. He goes around in circles, keeps the anxiety inside him, tries not to communicate it to anyone. And similarly, when the model Constance Jablonski faints because her belt is too tight and she has to lie down for a moment, between the racks, those around her try not to panic Olivier Rousteing. Why did you run? What is
it? No, absolutely. No, what is it? Tell me what's wrong. Everything is fine. It's not so much sugar, it's the withdrawal alcohol that would have been necessary. There, is she better or not? She's better. Look at. She's right there. There, she is fine. Don't look at that. He needs to... Of course, we were disappointed. Don't worry. Did you take off the bustier? Yes, we removed everything. Powerful. Powerful, girls, be strong. And suddenly, Constance Jablonsky reappears. She came to her senses. The flash tornado begins to roar and suddenly, the first model leaves the backstage. She rushes
away. The Balmain show has started. Rihanna is not here. We must move forward. Fur is for me the key element of my collection, because it has a very Pierre Balmain side. I dress well to do that. Looking at the archives, there was really this search for the use of fur or to switch off in colors completelyIt is truly mind-blowing. Scared, model Sasha's bracelets no longer close. And here comes Amanda, and like magic, she has some glue with her. I see her putting the glue on. She tells me, it's sticky, everything. I tighten the bracelet all
the way and I tell them: There you go, keep your hands in your pockets, there is always a solution to everything. And Amanda is the one who will find her. Amanda is a genius. We all want an Amanda in our life. The dresses are made for the activity of a young woman, of a resolute woman. I am really optimistic. I like the feel of leather. I really like this really hard and massive side. It’s a very masculine side. The girls walk in evening dresses as if they were marching in the army. That's what I love,
that they really feel like soldiers. Come on. Come on, is it better? Me too, it was the necklace that tightened my neck. I was like: Oh my! Let's say that trimmings are something that I really think of. There is a very official side to trimmings, but it is the explosion of trimmings, the explosion of proportions. And at the same time, trimmings are something that we usually use on parts of the body and which are a sign of recognition from the army. And here, for once, I'm making the trimmings into an evening dress. The collar, the
collar, the scamming. You push your limits when you do things like that. The designers stress over their own clothes, it's their baby in the end. They work for whole days and nights to make sure it goes well. It's really, you put your soul for a piece of clothing. The last on the podium will be Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Maddening body, even Tom P. She starts wanting to touch her. Everyone wants to touch her. Who doesn't want to grope Rosie? It's a bit of a subtle, delicate dress and at the same time a real piece of armor. Rosy
which is very glamorous, having this black dress, cold and hard, for me, is really playing with contrasts and showing that the blondest, sexiest, most glamorous girl can still be sexy in a mid-calf dress, covered. You want to hug her as much as if she were in short skirts. Warriors, soldiers. The Balmain Army. A Balmain army. The parade ends. Lucas and Amanda, very moved. The modelers in tears from the days and nights of tension who finally let go. You were having emotions, look. Hi dad. Hi. It's good. It's good. It's good. It's good. It's good. It
was the first. More. The cry from the heart of Lucas and Olivier Rousteing. There are lots of things going on in my head when I'm walking. You think about all the people in front of you and you say to yourself: What will they think of your collection? You think about your team. You've seen people cry, you've seen people laugh, but it goes very quickly. And when you're on the podium, you don't think about anything anymore. You just stick out your arm, you become an automatic robot and you say to yourself: It's done. Next. He also
wipes away a tear before being caught by the press. Rosie Antington-Whiteley got hot. I'm hot, really. Do you see the steam coming out of my dress? I'm so hot. It was great. A magnificent parade. Olivier Rousteing's grandmother says exactly what a grandmother should say in such circumstances. I am very proud of him. It would be unfortunate not to be. You don't believe? I'm surprised he can do that at his age. No. No. Because even when he was little, he was making fantastic drawings. He has it in his blood. And his mother shows herself serene with
unconditional love. Honey, listen to me. Are you upset because I hug you? No, but it's just that I have so much stuff to do. That's why I'm leaving you. Do you know that I love you very much? Me too. Pierre Balmain's mother especially did not want her son to get into fashion, but subsequently, she was an unfailing support, moral and physical. And behind the scenes there is a huge sigh of relief. It's over, everything went really well, so we're happy. I'm doing well. I think so. I didn't understand anything but what I saw on the
screen. I'm super happy. A little sad though because it's the end and all. It's cool that all our projects are bringing me to the end. It's great. I was a prisoner for tripping. There are two bins. Yes, I'm super happy. It's sad, it's over. It doesn't last very long. And suddenly, Rihanna. She is there. Who ? Where is she? I wouldn't want to disturb you. This is an amazing top. Is it in one piece? Yes, it's a combination. And there is a top. Yes, a belt. I love it. I love when you do your layers
and jackets. It suits you well. I was stuck in this damn car. It's okay, it's okay, everything's okay. What do you like about him? All. He has enormous talent. He is very kind, very gentle. He's an incredible person. It is beautiful inside and out. And it shows in his creations. I love it. He is very bold, courageous. And that's what I like about fashion. Will you marry me? This girl is the girl, the girl. There is no better. Extravagance, the spotlight, optimism in the grayness of the world, Pierre Balmain passing the torch to Olivier Rousteing,
copy and paste that come to life on the catwalk, workshops that are applied with patience. Paris. And Paris which, thanks to them, continues to be a party, a party, a party, is the Balmain Lineage..
