The fashion label Balenciaga was created in 1915 by Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga when the first fashion house under the name Balenciaga was opened.  Cristobal was born in a small fishing village on the Basque coast, called Guetaria in 1895.  At an early age he showed a flair for design and at the tender age of 16, he opened his first couture workshop in San Sebastian.  After travelling to Paris and seeing for himself the haute couture of the Parisian fashion houses, Balenciaga created designs for Spanish women based on this style.

Five years after opening his fashion house, Balenciaga opened the second, but the onset of the Spanish Civil War resulted in him leaving Spain for Paris where he soon made a name for himself and revolutionised the way women dressed.  Most notably perhaps, Balenciaga turned away from Dior’s hourglass look to create the Empire line. 

Recognised as the best dressed women in the world, some of Balenciaga’s most faithful clients included the Queen of Spain, Princess Grace of Monaco, the Duchess of Windsor, the Queen of Belgium and Jackie Kennedy.  Modern wearers of Balenciaga include Kylie Minogue on her concert tour, and Jennifer Connelly and Nicole Kidman who were dressed in Balenciaga for the 2006 Academy Awards.  Nicole Kidman also wore Balenciaga for her wedding to Keith Urban.

Balenciaga died on 24th March 1972, but his name lives on in his wonderful collections.  Today the Balenciaga fashion house is owned by the Gucci Group.

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