Christophe Decarnin was born in Le Touquet, north France, in 1964. and from an early age he started to show his interest in fashion design. He graduated successfully at the prestigeous ESMOD Fashion Institute in Paris and started consulting at first for various maisons, then he became creative director of Paco Rabanne prét-a-porter line for 7 years.

In 2005 he was nominated creative director of the House of Balmain, brand that was experiencing a public and economic collapse after the death of its creator. Decarnin and his extraordinary genius succeeded to save the sorts of the French Maison, generating what is now called a "Balmania", especially perpetrated by celebrities and jet-set's fashion icons.



Just as had at the time Pierre Balmain, Decarnin has a very modern approach to fashion, revisiting the classics of the fashion house with a modern twist, with the addition of a personal and spontaneous touch that can be defined as "casual ultraglamour", affectionately called by the critics "Baroque 'n' roll "as he mixes the usual rock mood with baroque features.

This modern approach to the Balmain style often met the disapproval of the press, accusing the designer to sell "ripped garments for thousands of pounds" in a time of economical recession and a growing worldwide poverty.

After 6 years and many rumours, in 2011 Christophe Decarnin left the leading of Balmain into the young hands of his already co-worker Olivier Rousteing.