The story of Balmain
Pierre Balmain opened his couture house on rue François-Ier in Paris in 1945. His Jolie Madame silhouette, elegant and sharply built, dressed the smart set of the post-war years. Perfume followed fast. In 1947 Germaine Cellier composed Vent Vert, a green floral loaded with galbanum and unusually intense for its time. She also made Jolie Madame in 1953, a leathery violet chypre. Ivoire came in 1979, by Francis Camail and Michel Hy. It is a powdery green floral in the Vent Vert tradition. After the couturier's death in 1982 the house went through quieter years. Olivier Rousteing became creative director in 2011 and put it back in the spotlight. Qatar's Mayhoola group bought Balmain in 2016. On the fragrance side, Interparfums took over the licence in 2012. Its first launch was a reworked Ivoire eau de parfum by Michel Almairac and Jacques Flori.
An olfactory signature
Green comes first at Balmain. Vent Vert set the rule in 1947 with a massive dose of galbanum. Ivoire follows the same thread more gently. In the 2012 version, violet and mandarin open onto a jasmine and rose heart cut with bitter galbanum. Cedar and vetiver keep the base dry and clean. It is a long way from today's sugary florals. Ivoire smells like a freshly ironed white shirt, not candy.
Which Balmain perfume to choose?
Our database features Balmain through Ivoire, in its 2012 eau de parfum version. It suits lovers of green florals and clean scents, in spring and summer. It makes an excellent office fragrance, discreet without being dull. Two sprays on skin are enough. Pre-2012 bottles carry more patchouli and moss and will mostly interest collectors. To place Ivoire, smell Chanel N°19, which is colder and more focused on iris.