The admired Balenciaga

Today we remember one of the most admired fashion designers of all time.

It's been almost 90 years since Cristóbal Balenciaga presented his first haute couture collection in Paris. The years leading up to that date and the ones after are history: A highly successful and iconic one, this Spaniard became one of the greatest in the history of fashion.

Today we remember him to celebrate his contributions and his undeniable legacy. Let's learn more about his life…

Childhood is destiny

At an early age, Cristóbal Balenciaga, born in 1895 (Spain), lost his father. As head of the family, his mother earned her living by sewing. Without a doubt, this was the basis for Cristóbal to learn more about patterns, fabrics and the needs of very diverse clients.

Various beginnings

By 1917, Balenciaga was already a popular fashion brand for important clients. The aristocracy welcomed him and it was in that year that he presented his first collection. Despite the economic and political context of the time, fashion found its way.

By 1937, Cristóbal was already living in Paris and with that came a golden opportunity: to present his first haute couture collection in the French capital.

His time in this city positioned him as one of the greatest designers of the time, in tune with the elegance of a growing but also very demanding market.

His contemporaries

From Christian Dior to Coco Chanel herself, other great designers of the time admired him and made public declarations that became true praise for the Spaniard. The common denominator? Absolute recognition of his technique and attention to detail.

The style

Talking about the significance of Balenciaga is complex. But to summarise we could say that comfort without losing pure elegance, the fashionable proposal of his time, as well as experimentation with volume were a pure constant of this great designer. Intense colours, timeless designs and a special attention to sleeves, as well as collars.

Keys to the legacy

To understand the relevance of this designer, it is enough to say that in our time they have produced a series inspired by his life, on one of the most important streaming platforms internationally. And since 2011, there has been a museum named after him in Guetaria, the hometown of the maestro Cristóbal Balenciaga.

The phrase

"A couturier must be an architect of form, a painter of color, a musician of harmony, and a philosopher of measure."