Balenciaga

Posted on October 5, 2023 By Eva Robinson Fashion

Balenciaga is a luxury fashion house that is well-known for its daring and inventive initiatives. However, the celebrity’s preferred RTW fashion empire was formerly a true Parisian couture firm that pioneered women’s fashion in the mid-twentieth century. So let’s take a look at Balenciaga’s history and progress, as well as its haute couture foundations and stape fashion clothes and accessories.

The First Steps

Cristóbal Balenciaga founded the fashion brand in 1895. The self-taught designer is famous for never designing a single item on pencil and paper. From a seamstress’s son to a designer’s designer, the introverted couturier was a vital element of the fashion industry in the twentieth century, and his impact is still felt today.
Though it is impossible to verify stories over 100 years old, it is reported that Balenciaga grew up in a little fishing hamlet in Spain and that after his father died, his mother got a job as a seamstress to support the family. Balenciaga got obsessed with his mother’s job and, at the age of 12, began his own path into the fashion business as an apprentice in the San Sebastian resort.
From the classic designs to the avant-garde creations, Balenciaga’s revolutionary approach to fashion and his mastery of technique quickly gained him a reputation as one of the most influential designers in history. The sleek and sophisticated Balenciaga sunglasses are a testament to his legendary style, with more than a hundred years of tradition and innovation behind each pair.

History of the Balenciaga Fashion House

Balenciaga opened his first fashion firm in 1917, although not under the prestigious name we know today, but under Elisa, the shorter form of his mother’s maiden name. In the 1920s, he even created a second store in Madrid before moving to the fashion capital. Due to the Spanish Civil War, Balenciaga was obliged to relocate to France in 1937. In fact, his first fashion couture company on Avenue Georges V quickly became the most elite couturier in Paris.
At the time, the designer’s exceptional craftsmanship set him apart from Chanel and Dior. His pattern-cutting and garment fabrication abilities were exceptional even at such a young age. Balenciaga is well-known for beginning his designs with a piece of fabric rather than designing, drawing, and planning. He knows how to use materials to their full extent. His mastery earned him a lot of respect, but the designer kept his circle small. A few people he liked and befriended, including Christian Dior, Hubert De Givenchy, Carmel Snow, and Diane Vreeland. He was an introvert noted for his animosity towards the press and paparazzi.
Dior and Balenciaga were the leaders of Paris Couture in the early 1950s. Despite the fact that the two designers were revolutionising women’s fashion in quite different ways, they began crafting their own signature designs. The postwar era was a moment of celebration, from Dior’s hourglass form to Balenciaga’s bracelet sleeves.
However, his disdain for the press did not fade, and he became even more secretive. When he grew opposed to American copyists, he was the first couturier to leave the Chambre Syndicale system in 1956. To maintain the quality of his work, he began distributing his famed collections a month later than the official Paris dates. Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent even followed in his footsteps by prohibiting the press from attending their events. Which is difficult to comprehend given that fashion shows are available to everyone via social media.
The 1950s were a watershed moment for Balenciaga, propelling the fashion house to its current level of popularity. Cristobal Balenciaga pioneered previously unseen silhouettes in women’s fashion. From volume-filled balloon hems to the shocking sack dress and iconic Balenciaga sunglasses, there’s something for everyone. Many of his designs were unconventional at the time before they became famous in the mainstream, and many of them are still popular now.

The Signature Products of Balenciaga

Rectangle Balenciaga glasses in classic tortoiseshell with bold, translucent lenses are some of Balenciaga’s most popular and appreciated by celebrities worldwide. The frames of these signature sunglasses are composed of acetate, like most of the brand’s other sunglasses, but unlike others, they have an overside gold logo detail at the temple. The wide-notched arms provide extra support and sturdiness, allowing them to stay in place as you move. These sleek, accentuated spectacles look well on various face shapes, especially triangular faces that are wider at the bottom.
Then there’s the iconic baby doll dress, a look that has stood the test of time, from being a 1960s staple with Twiggy wearing a sleeveless version to being reinvented in the 1990s with grunge celebrities like Courtney Love teaming it with untidy hair and smudged lipstick. Current Balenciaga Creative Director Demna Gvasalia has restored the hallmark look on the runway in recent years, emphasising its feminine appeal with a pink floral print. 
Another trademark look that revolutionised the womenswear style in the 1960s was Balenciaga’s egg coat. The minimal silhouette appealed to the decade’s mod trends. It’s a look that’s still popular among fashion designers around the globe.

by Eva Robinson