Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre was a Spanish fashion designer, and the founder of the Balenciaga clothing brand. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was referred to as "the … See more

Balenciaga was born in the Basque town Getaria (Gipuzkoa), Spain on 21 January 1895. His father, José Balenciaga Basurto, was a fisherman who died when Cristóbal was a boy, and his … See more

Balenciaga retired from the high fashion world in 1968 at the age of 74 after working in Paris for thirty years. First, he decided to retire from active life in May 1968 and, a few months later, on 1 July, the newspapers broke the news of his headquarters in … See more

In the studio of Cristóbal Balenciaga, many couturiers formed, some of which would reach international fame and would get to have their own … See more

Balenciaga was successful during his early career as a designer in Spain. He opened a boutique in San Sebastián in 1919, which expanded to … See more

Balenciaga was gay, although he kept his sexuality private throughout his life. The love of his life and his long time partner was Franco-Polish millionaire Władzio Jaworowski … See more

During the 1950s, designers like Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, and Coco Chanel emerged, creating pieces very representative to their fashion houses and to their own styles. … See more