The remarkable story of Cristóbal Balenciaga and the trajectory of his brand, which managed to return to haute couture after years of oblivion.
Haute couture, for François-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering, is the maximum expression of creative freedom in fashion, as there are no commitments to industrial production, cost estimates and advertising. In this sense, after 53 years, the irreverent brand Balenciaga returned to luxury fashion week and made its triumphant return to haute couture in 2021.
In this sense, the renowned founder of the brand, Cristobal Balenciaga, revolutionized fashion and had perfection as his goal. However, despite his success, Cristobal came from humble origins and has an admirable life story.
Therefore, below we will address the most important aspects of the history of Balenciaga, the glamorous brand that drew praise from Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and the entire social elite of the time. Let’s go?
The story of Cristóbal Balenciaga
Firstly, Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre was born on January 21, 1895, in the city of Getaria, Spain. Above all, he came from a simple family, his mother was a seamstress – with whom he already shared his gift – and his father was a fisherman.
At an early age, he was sponsored by the Marquesa de Casa Torrés, which would be the first turning point in his life. The marchioness introduced the young man to the world of haute couture and, for her, he designed his first dress, at just 12 years old.
The tailor was known for being discreet and reserved, which attracted attention, as he was contrary to his competitors. Furthermore, he had a strong personality and was admired by other fashion icons, such as Coco Chanel.
The path to the emergence of the brand
In 1918, the Spaniard Cristóbal trained as a tailor and opened his first atelier, located in the center of the city of San Sebastian. While frequented by very influential women, the success of the studio was so great that it made its expansion possible. Thus, two more units were opened, one in Barcelona and Madrid, which even served the Royal Family and members of the Spanish high court. That’s power!
However, despite his success, with the start of the Spanish War in 1936, the couturier had to close his doors and leave the country. He settled in London for a while, but soon after moved to Paris. And it was in the city of light that the brand began to consolidate its place in history.
Then came Maison Balenciaga, opened by Cristóbal and his two partners, Wladzio Jaworowski and Nicolás Bizcarrondo. In this way, Balenciaga’s impeccable cut and sewing combined with Parisian fashion. So, the designer used nationalist tendencies in his brand to captivate the public and was very well received. Very clever, isn’t it?
The Balenciaga style
Cristóbal’s brand has always had a strong influence from Spanish culture. For example, the constant use of red in luxury items and inspiration from acclaimed Spanish artists of the time. Furthermore, the couturier used turquoise blue and voluminous busts as an allusion to bullfights, flamenco dances and nighttime dances in Spain.
The high quality of fabrics and sewing has always been a differentiator for Balenciaga. The breathtaking collections featured tight waists, hips marked with drapes and a square cut. A lot of boldness and creativity for just one brand.
One interesting thing about the brand is that Cristobal always launched his collections after the official fashion show season. Therefore, Balenciaga did not compete for the spotlight with other brands in fashion marathons. In this sense, it also gained exclusivity with Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, in addition to the latter being the only one authorized to photograph the fashion shows. Master trick!
The fall and oblivion of Balenciaga
In the golden years of the 1950s, Balenciaga launched collections that went down in history. In other words, the famous black dresses, shirt dresses, peacock tails, oversized jackets and bolero jackets were memorable.
On the other hand, modernity changed the way women dress and, therefore, from the 60s onwards, the Spanish brand no longer had the same prominence as before. Cristóbal decided to retire in 1972, and died in the same year. As a result, the brand fell into oblivion for a long time.
The rise of the brand and the present day
In 1997, years after the brand’s fall, Frenchman Nicolas Ghesquière was hired and brought the brand back into the spotlight. In 2015, after excellent work by Guesquiére, designer Demna Gvasalia arrived on the scene, responsible for Balenciaga’s return to haute couture.
Since then, the brand has become increasingly popular, becoming an absolute success all over the world. Among the most striking products, we can highlight the Balenciagas bags and sneakers, which are breathtaking and carry Cristóbal’s legacy forward.
So, what did you think of this article? If you liked it, check out also: Fendi, what is the brand’s history?
