A rich and compelling fashion story, yet to be fully told.

That’s how Balmain chief executive officer Matteo Sgarbossa describes the French house as it marks its 80th anniversary, an occasion to elaborate on the legacy of Pierre Balmain , a proponent of optimistic and architectural fashions in the post-war period whose fans included Gertrude Stein, the Duchess of Windsor and Queen Sirikit of Thailand.

He also described an opportunity for the maison, still a relatively small player on the luxury scene, to leverage its agility and its track record of audacity, with current creative director Olivier Rousteing carrying the torch for bold fashion statements and social change, too.

“We have this privilege of being able to take risks, things that giant brands cannot do because they have mu

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