Founding to 1968 Cristóbal Balenciaga opened his first boutique in
San Sebastián (Spain) in 1917, and expanded to include branches in
Madrid and
Barcelona. The
Spanish royal family and aristocracy wore his designs. When the Spanish Civil War forced him to close his stores, he moved to Paris. Balenciaga opened his Paris couture house on
Avenue George V in August 1937, where his first fashion show featured designs heavily influenced by the
Spanish Renaissance. Historians believe that Balenciaga's continued activity during the
German occupation of Paris was made possible by his connections with Spanish dictator
Francisco Franco, who ensured Spain’s non-belligerent status and maintained diplomatic relations with German dictator
Adolf Hitler. The relation to Franco was so close that Balenciaga designed clothing for the Franco family. During the post-war years, his lines became more linear and sleek, diverging from the hourglass shape popularized by "
Christian Dior's New Look".
Protégés Several designers who worked for Balenciaga would go on to open their own successful couture houses, notably
Oscar de la Renta (1949),
Andre Courreges (1950), and
Emanuel Ungaro (1958), but his most famous and noted
protégé was
Hubert de Givenchy, who was the lone designer to side with Balenciaga against the
Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne and also the press over the scheduling of his shows.
Battle against the press In 1957, Balenciaga famously decided to show his collection to the fashion press the day before the clothing retail delivery date, not the standard four weeks before the retail delivery date the fashion industry followed at the time. By keeping the press unaware of the design of his garments until the day before they were shipped to stores, he hoped to curtail ongoing piracy and copying of his designs. The press resisted, finding it nearly impossible to get his work into their print deadlines, but Balenciaga and protégé
Givenchy stood firm, seriously impacting their coverage and press of the era. His supporters would argue that rival
Christian Dior would gain acclaim from copying Balenciaga's silhouettes and cuts, claiming them as his own original work; because Balenciaga was not interested in press coverage, the media and consumers never knew. In 1967, both designers reversed their decision and joined the traditional schedule.
Battle against the Chambre Balenciaga defiantly resisted the rules, guidelines, and
bourgeoisie status of the
Chambre syndicale de la haute couture parisienne, and, thus, was never a member. Cristóbal Balenciaga closed his fashion house in 1968 and died in 1972.
1986: Revival of the brand In 1986, the fragrance group Jacques Bogart acquired Balenciaga and appointed fashion designer Michel Goma as artistic director in an effort to modernise the house. A ready-to-wear line was launched in 1987. From 1987 to 1991, Jacqueline Zirigovich served as artistic director, revisiting Cristóbal Balenciaga’s archives to develop collections aligned with the founder’s aesthetic. In 1992, Josephus Thimister was appointed artistic director and reinterpreted the brand through a bold minimalist approach. In 1997,
Nicolas Ghesquière was appointed Artistic Director of Balenciaga. He maintained the house’s restrained and controlled aesthetic while modernising its references and exploring the relationship between body and garment that was central to the work of the Spanish couturier. During this period, Balenciaga introduced its first iconic handbag, the Motorcycle bag. The brand gained popularity among celebrities, including Madonna. In 2000, Balenciaga reported a 17% increase in sales, reaching 113.2 million French francs.
2001 to 2010 ), Bilbao, Spain The
Gucci group, under the ownership of the Pinault Printemps Redoute (PPR) group (now
Kering), acquired a controlling stake in Balenciaga in 2001, bringing the historic fashion house into the same corporate family as other luxury brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Boucheron, and Bottega Veneta. James McArthur subsequently took over as chief executive of the brand. In 2002, Balenciaga's star, Nicolas Ghesquière, admitted to copying the work of
Kaisik Wong, a designer from San Francisco who died in 1990. Ghesquière created a patchwork vest in his spring collection that resembled one that Wong designed in 1973. Ghesquière admitted in an interview in Paris that he had copied the garment. Ghesquière's F/W 2005 line showed that the house was not only making money, but also attracted a number of celebrity customers including
editor-in-chief at
Vogue,
Anna Wintour. The House of Balenciaga designed the dresses worn by
Jennifer Connelly and
Nicole Kidman to the 2006
Academy Awards, as well as the wedding gown Kidman wore when she married
Keith Urban.
Kylie Minogue also wore a Balenciaga dress for her "
Slow" and "
Red Blooded Woman" music videos and for her concert tour. Balenciaga's Fall/Winter 2007 show impressed
Teen Vogue editor-in-chief
Amy Astley so much that an entire spread in the magazine, titled "Global Studies" and shot in Beijing, was influenced by it. The line included skinny
jodhpurs, tight, fitted blazers, beaded embellished scarves, and other multicultural mixes. Balenciaga is known for creating avant-garde, advanced structural pieces, straddling the edge of fashion and forecasting the future of women's ready-to-wear fashion. Vintage Balenciaga garments are popular among fashion editors, Hollywood stars, and models, and have been seen on
Sienna Miller,
Lara Bingle,
Raquel Zimmermann,
Caroline Trentini,
Emmanuelle Alt,
Tatiana Sorokko,
Hilary Rhoda,
Jennifer Garner, and
Stephanie Seymour, among others. Balenciaga is also frequently worn by actress
Chloë Sevigny, who is also a muse of Nicolas Ghesquière.
2010 to present in Paris In March 2011 at
M. H. de Young Museum in San Francisco, USA, Balenciaga celebrated the opening of Balenciaga and Spain, a 120-piece fashion retrospective of Cristóbal Balenciaga's career. The exhibition included many designs from the museum's encyclopedic costume collection. The $2,500-a-ticket fund-raiser for the museum drew 350 guests, including Denise Hale,
Marissa Mayer,
Vanessa Getty, Victoria Traina, Vanessa Traina,
Jamie Tisch,
Gwyneth Paltrow,
Orlando Bloom,
Balthazar Getty,
Maggie Rizer,
Connie Nielsen,
Maria Bello, and
Mia Wasikowska. In June 2011, the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum opened in
Getaria, Spain. In November 2012, Balenciaga announced that it was parting with creative director
Nicolas Ghesquière, ending his 15-year tenure. The brand announced
Alexander Wang as its new creative director. Wang presented his first collection for the label on 28 February 2013, at
Paris Fashion Week. In 2014, the
Tribunal de grande instance de Paris set a trial date for the lawsuit between Balenciaga vs. Ghesquière. Balenciaga claimed that Ghesquière's comments in the magazine
System had hurt the company's image. The highly publicized suit was mediated out of court. In July 2015, Balenciaga announced it was parting with creative director
Alexander Wang after three years. The Spring/Summer 2016 show was his last, featuring white lounge wear made from soft, natural fabrics. In early October 2015, the brand appointed
Demna Gvasalia as its new creative director. In October 2016, Cédric Charbit was appointed CEO. Formerly the executive vice president of product and marketing at Saint Laurent, Charbit steered Balenciaga in a commercial direction. Under his tenure, the brand experienced significant growth; analysts estimated $2 billion in revenue for 2022. In 2018, Balenciaga was the subject of a social media backlash in China when personnel at one of Balenciaga's Paris stores assaulted a Chinese tourist. In April 2021 Gvasalia presented his new Pre-Fall 2021 collection, as promoted by
Vanity Teen magazine. In August 2021,
Justin Bieber was announced as the new face of Balenciaga. In September 2021, the brand faced backlash when it released
trompe-l'œil sweatpants with the illusion of plaid boxers sticking out the top with a price tag of $1,190. In May 2022, Balenciaga announced that it accepts crypto payments. In October 2022 Balenciaga announced that it was severing its ties to
Kanye West due to his anti-semitic comments. In November 2022, Balenciaga released an
advertising campaign featuring six young children holding teddy bears dressed in
BDSM gear, amidst empty wine glasses and champagne flutes, prompting strong public backlash In May 2024, Balenciaga opened a new flagship store in
Tokyo. Later in June, Balenciaga opened its first store in
Cancún,
Mexico. In November 2024, Gianfranco Gianangeli was appointed CEO, replacing Cédric Charbit who had led the brand since 2016.
Brand ambassadors In July 2023, Balenciaga announced its first-ever brand ambassadors,
Isabelle Huppert and
PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn. This is the first time in history, Balenciaga announced a brand ambassador. In November 2023, Balenciaga appointed
Michelle Yeoh as its brand ambassador. In December 2023, Balenciaga introduced its new brand ambassador,
Nicole Kidman. In January 2024,
Kim Kardashian became the brand ambassador of Balenciaga.
Support for Ukraine In March 2022 during
Paris Fashion Week, Balenciaga expressed support for Ukraine during the
Russo-Ukrainian War. T-shirts in yellow and blue (like the
Ukrainian flag) were placed on the chairs. Creative director
Demna Gvasalia recited a poem "Live Ukraine, live for beauty" by Ukrainian writer
Oleksandr Oles at the beginning and end of the show. He noted that this show is self-explanatory, as a dedication to "fearlessness, resistance, and the victory of love and peace". The brand also made donations to the UN
World Food Programme to support Ukrainian refugees. == Controversies ==