Fall 1996 Pierre Balmain by Oscar de la Renta Haute Couture Layered Silk Chiffon Dress w Embroidered Bodice Shop By Size At the waist

At the waist

His signature white appliques are added tot he front skirt making it instantly recognizable as a Cardin

Pierre Cardin and Norman Norell before striking out on his own in 1972

You can top this with the little cropped jacket for a bit more coverage or you can add the wide belt that will completely hide the bare middle and turn it into a proper dress

Fall 1996 Pierre Balmain by Oscar de la Renta Haute Couture Layered Silk Chiffon Dress w Embroidered Bodice Shop By Size At the waistIn 1993 Oscar de la Renta took over as Creative Director at Balmain where he designed the Haute Couture collections until 2002. The house had been floundering at that point and he had a huge impact on the reviving the sales of the couture pieces, mainly by catering to private clients, much like Balmain had originally. It is extraordinary to think that Oscar never produced a Haute Couture line under his own label and these few short years at Balmain