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.jpg) Store inSoHo, Manhattan | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion |
| Predecessor |
|
| Founded | 1919; 106 years ago (1919), inSan Sebastián, Spain |
| Founder | Cristóbal Balenciaga |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
Number of locations | 282 stores worldwide (2025)[1] |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Parent | Kering |
| Website | balenciaga.com |
Balenciaga SA (/bəˌlɛnsiˈɑːɡə/bə-LEN-see-AH-gə;[2]Spanish:[balenˈθjaɣa];Basque:[balents̻i.aɣa]) is a Spanish luxury fashion house currently headquartered inParis. It designs, manufactures and marketsready-to-wear footwear, handbags, and accessories, and licenses its name and branding to the Americancosmetics companyCoty for its namesake fragrances.[3] Balenciaga is one of the luxury brands owned by the French multinational luxury goods companyKering.
The brand was originally founded in San Sebastián in 1919 by SpanishcouturierCristóbal Balenciaga. Gianfranco Gianangeli has been CEO of Balenciaga since November 2024.[4]Kering has named Italian designerPierpaolo Piccioli as the nextcreative director of Balenciaga, effective July 10, 2025.
Cristóbal Balenciaga opened his first boutique inSan Sebastián, Spain, in 1919, and expanded to include branches inMadrid andBarcelona.[5] TheSpanish royal family and aristocracy wore his designs. When theSpanish Civil War forced him to close his stores, he moved to Paris.[5][6]
Balenciaga opened his Paris couture house onAvenue George V in August 1937, where his first fashion show featured designs heavily influenced by theSpanish Renaissance.[5] His success was nearly immediate. In two years, the press lauded him as a revolutionary, and his designs were highly sought after.[5]Carmel Snow, the editor ofHarper's Bazaar, was an early champion of his designs.[7]
Historians believe that Balenciaga's continued activity during theGerman occupation of Paris was made possible by his connections with Spanish dictatorFrancisco Franco who was German dictatorAdolf Hitler's close ally.[8] The relation to Franco was so close that Balenciaga designed clothing for the Franco family.[9] The company was one of only 60 allowed to operate during the occupation, and the ongoing supply of raw materials from Spain, which were in short supply in Paris due to the war, gave Balenciaga a competitive advantage. However, he testified that he refused Hitler's request to transfer his company's activities to Berlin.[9][10]
During the post-war years, his lines became more linear and sleek, diverging from the hourglass shape popularized by "Christian Dior's New Look".[5] The fluidity of his silhouettes enabled him to manipulate the relationship between his clothing and women's bodies. In 1951, he transformed the silhouette, broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. In 1955, he designed the tunic dress, which later developed into the chemise dress of 1958.[5] Other contributions in the postwar era included the spherical balloon jacket (1953), the high-waisted baby doll dress (1957), the cocoon coat (1957), the balloon skirt (1957), and the sack dress (1957). In 1959, his work culminated in the Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats cut likekimono. His manipulation of the waist, in particular, constituted "what is considered to be his most important contribution to the world of fashion: a new silhouette for women".[5]
In the 1960s, Balenciaga tended toward heavy fabrics, intricate embroidery, and bold materials.[5] His trademarks included "collars that stood away from the collarbone to give a swanlike appearance" and shortened "bracelet" sleeves.[5] His often spare, sculptural creations—including funnel-shape gowns of stiff duchess satin worn to acclaim by clients such asPauline de Rothschild,Bunny Mellon,Marella Agnelli,Hope Portocarrero,Gloria Guinness, andMona von Bismarck—were considered masterworks of haute couture in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1960, he designed the wedding dress forQueen Fabiola of Belgium made of ivory duchess satin trimmed with white mink at the collar and the hips.Jackie Kennedy famously upset her husband by buying Balenciaga's expensive creations whileJohn F. Kennedy was president – he apparently feared that the American public might think the purchases too lavish. Her haute couture bills were eventually discreetly paid by her father-in-law,Joseph Kennedy.[11]
Several designers who worked for Balenciaga would go on to open their own successful couture houses, notablyOscar de la Renta (1949),Andre Courreges (1950), andEmanuel Ungaro (1958), but his most famous and notedprotégé wasHubert de Givenchy, who was the lone designer to side with Balenciaga against theChambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne and also the press over the scheduling of his shows.[citation needed]
In 1957, Balenciaga famously decided to show his collection to the fashion press the day before the clothing retail delivery date, not the standard four weeks before the retail delivery date the fashion industry followed at the time. By keeping the press unaware of the design of his garments until the day before they were shipped to stores, he hoped to curtail ongoing piracy and copying of his designs. The press resisted, finding it nearly impossible to get his work into their print deadlines, but Balenciaga and protégéGivenchy stood firm, seriously impacting their coverage and press of the era. His supporters would argue that rivalChristian Dior would gain acclaim from copying Balenciaga's silhouettes and cuts, claiming them as his own original work; because Balenciaga was not interested in press coverage, the media and consumers never knew.
In 1967, both designers reversed their decision and joined the traditional schedule.
Balenciaga defiantly resisted the rules, guidelines, andbourgeoisie status of theChambre syndicale de la haute couture parisienne, and, thus, was never a member.
Cristóbal Balenciaga closed his fashion house in 1968 and died in 1972. The house lay dormant until 1986.[5]
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Balenciaga is now owned byKering and its womenswear and menswear departments were headed by Nicolas Ghesquière.[12]
In 2002, Balenciaga's star, Nicolas Ghesquière, admitted to copying the work ofKaisik Wong, a designer from San Francisco who died in 1990. Ghesquiere created a patchwork vest in his spring collection that resembled one that Wong designed in 1973. Ghesquière admitted in an interview in Paris that he had copied the garment.[13]
Ghesquière's F/W 2005 line showed that the house was not only making money, but also attracted a number of celebrity customers includingeditor-in-chief atVogue,Anna Wintour.[citation needed]
The House of Balenciaga designed the dresses worn byJennifer Connelly andNicole Kidman to the 2006Academy Awards, as well as the wedding gown Kidman wore when she marriedKeith Urban.[14]Kylie Minogue also wore a Balenciaga dress for her "Slow" and "Red Blooded Woman" music videos and for her concert tour.[15]
Balenciaga's Fall/Winter 2007 show impressedTeen Vogue editor-in-chiefAmy Astley so much that an entire spread in the magazine, titled "Global Studies" and shot in Beijing, was influenced by it. The line included skinnyjodhpurs, tight, fitted blazers, beaded embellished scarves, and other multicultural mixes.[citation needed]
Balenciaga is known for creating avant-garde, advanced structural pieces, straddling the edge of fashion and forecasting the future of women's ready-to-wear fashion. Vintage Balenciaga garments are popular among fashion editors, Hollywood stars, and models, and have been seen onSienna Miller,[16]Lara Bingle,Raquel Zimmermann,[17]Caroline Trentini,Emmanuelle Alt,[18]Tatiana Sorokko,[19]Hilary Rhoda,Jennifer Garner, andStephanie Seymour, among others.[20] Balenciaga is also frequently worn by actressChloë Sevigny, who is also a muse of Nicolas Ghesquière.
In March 2011 atM. H. de Young Museum in San Francisco, USA, Balenciaga celebrated the opening of Balenciaga and Spain, a 120-piece fashion retrospective of Cristóbal Balenciaga's career. The exhibition included many designs from the museum's encyclopedic costume collection. "You can't even measure it", saidRodarte designer Laura Mulleavy of Cristóbal Balenciaga's influence.[21] The $2,500-a-ticket fund-raiser for the museum drew 350 guests, including Denise Hale,Marissa Mayer,Vanessa Getty, Victoria Traina, Vanessa Traina,Jamie Tisch,Gwyneth Paltrow,Orlando Bloom,Balthazar Getty,Maggie Rizer,Connie Nielsen,Maria Bello, andMia Wasikowska.[21]
In June 2011, the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum opened inGetaria, Spain.[22]
In November 2012, Balenciaga announced that it was parting with creative directorNicolas Ghesquière, ending his 15-year tenure.[23][24] The brand announcedAlexander Wang as its new creative director.[24][25] Wang presented his first collection for the label on 28 February 2013, atParis Fashion Week. In 2014, theTribunal de grande instance de Paris set a trial date for the lawsuit between Balenciaga vs. Ghesquière.[26] Balenciaga claimed that Ghesquière's comments in the magazineSystem had hurt the company's image.[27] The highly publicized suit was mediated out of court.
In July 2015, Balenciaga announced it was parting with creative directorAlexander Wang after three years. The Spring/Summer 2016 show was his last, featuring white lounge wear made from soft, natural fabrics.[28] In early October 2015, the brand appointedDemna Gvasalia as its new creative director.[29]
In October 2016, Cédric Charbit was appointed CEO.[30] Formerly the executive vice president of product and marketing at Saint Laurent, Charbit steered Balenciaga in a commercial direction. Under his tenure, the brand experienced significant growth; analysts estimated $2 billion in revenue for 2022.[31]
In 2018, Balenciaga was the subject of a social media backlash in China when personnel at one of Balenciaga's Paris stores assaulted a Chinese tourist.[32]: 218
In, April 2021 Gvasalia presented his new Pre-Fall 2021 collection, as promoted byVanity Teen magazine.[33] In August 2021,Justin Bieber was announced as the new face of Balenciaga.[34] In September 2021, the brand faced backlash when it releasedtrompe-l'œil sweatpants with the illusion of plaid boxers sticking out the top with a price tag of $1,190.[35]
In May 2022, Balenciaga announced that it accepts crypto payments.[36][37]
In October 2022 Balenciaga announced that it was severing its ties toKanye West due to his anti-semitic comments.[38]
In December 2023, Balenciaga was awarded by thePeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) with the prize for best luxury product for its entirely vegan coat made from Lunaform, a plant-based leather.[39]
In May 2024, Balenciaga opened a new flagship store inTokyo.[40] Later in June, Balenciaga opened its first store inCancún,Mexico.[41]
In November 2024, Gianfranco Gianangeli was appointed CEO, replacing Cédric Charbit who had led the brand since 2016.[4]
In July 2023, Balenciaga announced its first-ever brand ambassadors,Isabelle Huppert andPP Krit Amnuaydechkorn. This is the first time in history, Balenciaga announced a brand ambassador.[42][43][44]
In November 2023, Balenciaga appointedMichelle Yeoh as its brand ambassador.[45]
In December 2023, Balenciaga introduced its new brand ambassador,Nicole Kidman.[46][47][48]
In January 2024,Kim Kardashian became the brand ambassador of Balenciaga.[49][50][51][52]
In March 2022 duringParis Fashion Week, Balenciaga expressed support for Ukraine during theRusso-Ukrainian War. T-shirts in yellow and blue (like theUkrainian flag) were placed on the chairs. Creative directorDemna Gvasalia recited a poem "Live Ukraine, live for beauty" by Ukrainian writerOleksandr Oles at the beginning and end of the show. He noted that this show is self-explanatory, as a dedication to "fearlessness, resistance, and the victory of love and peace".[53] The brand also made donations to the UNWorld Food Programme to support Ukrainian refugees.[54]
Artists accused the brand of plagiarism.[55] Artist Tra My Nguyen accuses the brand of having used her portfolio that a recruiter of the brand had requested before reusing it without having spoken with the artist or the latter having given him her permission.[56][55]
On November 16, 2022, Balenciaga released an online "Gift Shop" advertising campaign featuring six young children[57] holding teddy bears dressed in bondage andBDSM gear, amidst empty wine glasses and champagne flutes.[58][59][60] Photographer Gabriele Galimberti claimed the images were part of a series of projects titled "Toy Stories".[60][61][62] All the children photographed are children of Balenciaga employees.[63] A few days later, a link was made between this campaign and another simultaneous Balenciaga campaign, "Garde-Robe" (with adidas),[64][60] where three photographs were the focus of criticism: A photograph of a bag placed on a Supreme Court document on the child pornography caseUnited States v. Williams (2008),[65] a photograph of actressIsabelle Huppert, featuring the book As Sweet as It Gets (2014) by Belgian painterMichaël Borremans visible in the background.[66] The latter had already produced several paintings depicting naked young children.[67] Another photograph from the campaign features a diploma with the name John Phillip Fisher, a convicted incest offender.[67] About these three props Demna stated “ It was a set of negligent and unfortunate coincidences." "I don’t know how they ended up there."[68]
On TikTok, videos of users destroying Balenciaga products made the controversy viral.[69] Among the brand's ambassador, Kim Kardashian expressed disgust and outrage,[70] and Nicole Kidman was criticized for refusing to denounce the campaign.[71] On November 22, Balenciaga removed both campaigns and apologized.[62] For the "Garde-Robe" campaign, Balenciaga announced that it was taking legal action against the production company North Six and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins, claiming that they were responsible for the advertisement with the child pornography court document. In response, the set designer's attorney said that Balenciaga representatives were present at the shoot and handled the papers and props used.[72][73] Balenciaga dropped their legal action on December 2.[74][61] Creative directorDemna Gvasalia apologized.[67] In March 2023, he stated "I didn't see the creepy part of it. But it's obvious now", "It was […] a stupid mistake".[67]
Kering stated that a committee of dozens of people approved the campaign,[67] photographer Galimberti stated that he was only requested to light the scene, and take the shots.[75][76] Balenciaga’s CEO Charbit elaborated "The artistic director oversees the creative. I take all the business decisions, have the final cut and responsibility. We collectively failed."[77] Kering's CEO François-Henri Pinault stated that he took full responsibility.[78]
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