| Balenciaga is a fashion house founded by Cristbal | | | | trademarks included "collars that stood away |
| Balenciaga, a Spanish designer, born in the Basque | | | | from the collarbone to give a swanlike |
| Country. He had a reputation as a couturier of | | | | appearance" and shortened "bracelet" sleeves.[3] |
| uncompromising standards and was referred to | | | | His often spare, sculptural creationsncluding |
| as "the master of us all" by Christian Dior.[1] His | | | | funnel-shape gowns of stiff duchess satin worn to |
| bubble skirts and odd, feminine, yet ultra-modern | | | | acclaim by clients such as Pauline de Rothschild, |
| shapes were trademarks of the house. The | | | | Bunny Mellon, Marella Agnelli, Gloria Guinness and |
| house of Balenciaga is now owned by the French | | | | Mona von Bismarckere considered masterworks |
| multinational company PPR.elegant braceletsCristbal | | | | of haute couture in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1960 |
| Balenciaga opened his first boutique in San | | | | he designed the wedding dress for Queen Fabiola |
| Sebastin, Spain, in 1914, which expanded to include | | | | of Belgium made of ivory duchess satin trimmed |
| branches in Madrid and Barcelona. The Spanish | | | | with white mink at the collar and the hips. Jackie |
| royal family and the aristocracy wore his designs, | | | | Kennedy famously upset John F. Kennedy for |
| but when the Spanish Civil War forced him to | | | | buying Balenciaga's expensive creations while he |
| close his stores, Balenciaga moved to Paris. | | | | was President because he feared that the |
| The designer house is now run by Nicolas | | | | American public might think the purchases too |
| Ghesquire. | | | | lavish. Her haute couture bills were eventually |
| Balenciaga opened his Paris couture house on | | | | discreetly paid by her father-in-law, Joseph |
| Avenue George V in August 1937, and his first | | | | Kennedy. |
| runway show featured designs heavily influenced | | | | Cristbal Balenciaga left the house in 1968. |
| by the Spanish Renaissance.[3] Balenciaga's | | | | Balenciaga is now owned by the Gucci Group |
| success in Paris was nearly immediate. Within two | | | | (part of PPR), and its womenswear and |
| years, the French press lauded him as a | | | | menswear is headed by Nicolas Ghesquire. |
| revolutionary, and his designs were highly | | | | There was some conflict within the house of |
| sought-after. Carmel Snow, the editor of Harper's | | | | Balenciaga on Nicolas Ghesquiere's designs. The |
| Bazaar was an early champion of his designs. | | | | Gucci group said that if Balenciaga didn't become |
| Customers risked their safety to travel to Europe | | | | profitable within the year 2007, they would |
| during World War II to see Balenciaga's clothing.[3] | | | | replace him.[citation needed] Ghesquire's F/W 2005 |
| During this period, he was noted for his "square | | | | line showed that the house was not only |
| coat," with sleeves cut in a single piece with the | | | | profitable, but also attracted a number of |
| yoke, and for his designs with black (or black and | | | | celebrity customers including editor-in-chief at |
| brown) lace over bright pink fabric. | | | | Vogue, Anna Wintour. |
| However, it was not until the post-war years that | | | | The house of Balenciaga designed the dresses |
| the full scale of the inventiveness of this highly | | | | worn by Jennifer Connelly and Nicole Kidman to |
| original designer became evident. His lines became | | | | the 2006 Academy Awards, as well as the |
| more linear and sleek, diverging from the | | | | wedding gown Kidman wore for her recent |
| hourglass shape popularized by Christian Dior's | | | | marriage to Keith Urban.[6] Kylie Minogue has also |
| New Look.[3] The fluidity of his silhouettes enabled | | | | worn a Balenciaga dress for her "Slow" music |
| him to manipulate the relationship between his | | | | video and for her concert tour. |
| clothing and women's bodies.[3] In 1951, he totally | | | | Today the brand is also famous for its line of |
| transformed the silhouette, broadening the | | | | motorcycle-inspired handbags, especially the |
| shoulders and removing the waist. In 1955, he | | | | famous "Lariat". Balenciaga currently owns only |
| designed the tunic dress, which later developed | | | | three boutiques in the United States their U.S. |
| into the chemise dress[3] of 1958. Other | | | | headquarters in New York on W 22nd St., |
| contributions in the postwar era included the | | | | Honolulu, and Los Angeles. A Boston and Orange |
| spherical balloon jacket (1953), the high-waisted | | | | County, CA boutique are planned to open in the |
| baby doll dress (1957), the cocoon coat (1957), | | | | coming months. |
| the balloon skirt (1957), and the sack dress | | | | Balenciaga's Fall/Winter 2007 show has wowed |
| (1957).[3] In 1959, his work culminated in the | | | | Editor in chief of Teen Vogue Amy Astley, so |
| Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats | | | | much that a spread in Teen Vogue named "Global |
| cut like kimonos. His manipulation of the waist, in | | | | Studies", shot in Beijing, was influenced by the |
| particular, contributed to "what is considered to be | | | | recent line, including skinny jodphers, tight, fitted |
| his most important contribution to the world of | | | | blazers, beaded embellished scarves and other |
| fashion: a new silhouette for women." | | | | multiculti mixes. |
| In the 1960s, Balenciaga was an innovator in his | | | | Balenciaga is also very well known for creating |
| use of fabrics: he tended toward heavy fabrics, | | | | avant-garde structural pieces, being on the edge |
| intricate embroidery, and bold materials.[3] His | | | | of fashion and in the future of ready to wear. |