Balenciaga

Cristóbal Balenciaga, the founder of the namesake brand, opened his first boutique in Spain, in 1919, and expanded to include branches in Barcelona and Madrid. The Spanish Civil War started in 1936forced him to move to Paris. From the very beginning, the designer wanted women of a strong character to wear his designs. In a few decades, his desires had come true: from theSpanish royal family memberstoQueen Fabiola of Belgium, Jackie KennedyandMadonna, Balenciaga was frequently worn by the Fashion Icons from around the world. The fluidity of his silhouettes enabled the designer to manipulate the relationship between women's bodies and his clothing. Cristóbal Balenciaga was the first to create the tunic dress, spherical balloon jacket, high-waist baby doll dress, cocoon coat, balloon skirt and sack dress.

Balenciaga has always defiantly resisted any rules and guidelines, creating the revolutionary, drastic designs that were highly sought-after. The designer’s impeccable craftsmanship set him apart at the time from the likes of Dior and Chanel. In the early 50s, the Fashion House was the leader of Paris couture. In 2001, Balenciaga was acquired by Kering, who currently owns Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta. In2015, Demna Gvasaliawas appointed as the new Creative Director of Balenciaga, and ever since has become a designer everyone is talking about. The fashion house was even named Kering’s fastest-growing brand in 2018thanks to Demna. For his SS 23 runway,Demna Gvasaliashocked the world with his latest collaboration with Adidas, bringing sports to the runway.