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 master of us all" by Christian Dior and as "the only couturier in the truest sense of the word" by Coco Chanel, who continued, "The others are simply fashion designers". On the day of his death, in 1972, Women's Wear Daily ran the headline "The King is Dead".
White cotton pique and black taffeta and organza evening gown (1951). Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Black bouclé wool chemise or 'sack' dress (1957). Rhode Island School of Design Museum.
Coats (c. 1960). Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum
Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum in Getaria
Balenciaga SA is a luxury fashion house founded in 1919 by the Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastián, Spain. Balenciaga produces ready-to-wear footwear, handbags, and accessories, and licenses its name and branding to Coty for fragrances. It is currently owned by the French corporation Kering.
Dresses designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga on display in Florence, Italy
Balenciaga exhibit, Fine Arts Museum (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao), Bilbao, Spain
Balenciaga handbags on display at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris