Fashion Designer Cristobal Balenciaga

Cristobal Balenciaga was born in 1895 in Guetaria, a small fishing village on the Spanish Basque coast. He studied needlework and dressmaking with is mother until 1910. It was in 1915 when he established his tailoring business under the sponsorship of Marquesa de Casa Torres. In 1915, the first fashion house was opened in San Sebastian under the name BALENCIAGA. The Spanish royal family and the aristocracy wore his designs, but when the Spanish Civil War forced him to close his stores, Balenciaga moved to Paris.

Balenciaga opened his Paris couture house on Avenue George V in August 1937, and his first runway show featured designs heavily influenced by the Spanish Renaissance. Balenciaga's success in Paris was nearly immediate. Within two years, the French press lauded him as a revolutionary, and his designs were highly sought-after. He rose to international fame, when he became part of the triad who dressed the world's most beautiful women with the launch of the New Look by Christian Dior. The fluidity of his silhouettes enabled him to manipulate the relationship between his clothing and women's bodies. In 1951, he totally transformed the silhouette, broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. In 1955, he designed the tunic dress, which later developed into the chemise dress of 1958.

His manipulation of the waist, in particular, contributed to "what is considered to be his most important contribution to the world of fashion: a new silhouette for women." His work included the high-waisted baby doll dress and the cocoon coat which he introduced in 1957, the balloon skirt in 1957, and the sack dress in 1957. Getting his inspiration from Spanish art and vernacular costume and mixing it with his genius for illusion, these looks were born. In the 1960s, Balenciaga was very innovative in his use of fabrics: he used heavy fabrics, intricate embroidery, and bold materials in his designs.

Balenciaga retired in 1968 and died in 1972. Nicolas Ghesquière started designing for Balenciaga in 1995. The House of Balenciaga was owned by Jacques Bogart SA until the Spring of 2001 when Gucci bought a controlling interest in the fashion house.

The Balenciaga line, dormant for nearly thirty years, stepped into the ready-to-wear arena in the 90's, reproducing classic looks for the minimal tides of that era. Balenciaga has recently become red-hot again, thanks to the futuristic avant-gardism of the "Le Dix" collection, helmed by creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere. The Balenciaga brand is famous for its line of motorcycle-inspired handbags, especially the famous "Lariat". Balenciaga currently owns two boutiques in the United States, the Balenciaga U.S. headquarters in New York on W 22nd St. as well as a store in Honolulu. They currently are in the process of leasing a spot in the Mandarin Oriental in Boston which is to open in Summer of 2008.

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