Balenciaga

He opened his first fashion house at the age of 20 and was considered a living legend in the fashion world, long before his death in 1972. In the space between, Cristóbal Balenciaga Eisaguirre became known for his couture cut clothing and cult handbags. He also taught fashion to the likes of present day gurus like Oscar de la Renta.

Balenciaga: The Man

Born with Basque ancestry in a small Spanish fishing village in 1885, Balenciaga astounded a member of Spanish nobility with his fashion sense at the age of 13. A year later, he made his first trip—and an impressionable one at that—to Paris. Two years after, he opened his first shop and then, at age 20, a fashion house. By 1925, Balenciaga had opened his second fashion house in Madrid.

Over the next 30 years, Balenciaga would help make many changes in women's clothing. Dubbed the "couturier of couturiers" by some, he began to heavily utilize close-fitting waistlines and open necks in his designs. He was also a stalwart in the world of perfumes.

Some of his clients included Queens of Spain and Belgium, as well as Princess Grace of Monaco.

Balenciaga Continues

The Balenciaga line lives on today, thanks to designer Nicolas Ghesquière, a designer who was promoted from within the company. With Ghesquière designing, Balenciaga continues to receive rave reviews for the founding designer's namesake.

In October 2005, a fashion show review in the International Herald Tribune proclaimed that "the Balenciaga show was so powerful, so clear in its message, so faithful to the heritage of the legendary couturier and so opulently un-copyable that it may turn out to be the major statement of the spring summer 2006 season."

By Jon Page

Balenciaga

Related Links: