Balmain

Oscar de la Renta presented for Balmain Couture a collection in Paris on Jan. 22 featuring a reported $6 million worth of elegant Tahitian cultured pearls. The entire pearl collection was filmed for broadcast on CNN on March 1 and March 2.

The newspaper Women's Wear Daily reported that de la Renta asked Salvador AssaÎl of New York, "known as the Pearl King", to put together a collection of pearl necklaces ranging in price from $150,000 to $3m and earrings from $15,000 to $200,000.

AssaÎl is also president of the New York-based Tahitian Pearl Association, the promotional arm of Perles de Tahiti in the Americas, and president of AssaÎl International Inc. of New York, a pearl wholesaler.

Oscar de la Renta ended up breaking with a tradition that had previously involved the use of faux rather than real pearls by fashion designers in Paris. The Balmain collection was accessorized with big, bold South Sea cultured pearls, including whites from Australia, golds from Indonesia and blacks from Tahiti.

The March 1997 edition of Modern Jeweller magazine reported that de la Renta called on AssaÎl for help only two weeks before the debut of the Balmain collection. AssaÎl, flattered, but surprised, told the magazine, "Oscar had talked with us about doing a show together last fall but by Christmas we just assumed he meant July. There were only a few days to prepare and ship the strands, earrings and ensembles that he required."Modern Jeweller reported: "Intent on celebrating genuine pearls as much as his own designs, de la Renta requested pearls of the highest possible quality and largest possible size. AssaÎl complied, sending white and golden pearls that were a minimum of 17mm in diameter and black pearls that were a minimum of 15mm." The Jan. 28 edition of WWD Tuesday had as its cover photo a model wearing an Oscar de La Renta "delicately beaded silk gown" and a magnificent necklace of Tahiti Cultured Pearls.