Balenciaga
The Past, Present and Possible Future of the House
Recently, I wrote that Pier Paolo Piccioli would be the perfect choice for creative director of Balenciaga. This is based purely on my own thoughts. It received a fair amount of comments in agreement. Readers expressed interest in learning more about the beginnings of the house and its namesake. I promised a story, though I found it impossible to write about the past without touching on the present and possible future of the house.
Years ago, a sales professional from Saks revealed to me that many heritage designer brands banked on teens and twenty-somethings who bought Balenciaga, Givenchy and Gucci without any knowledge of the namesakes of the houses. They wanted the clout of the branded hoodies, sweatshirts and trainers. I was floored by this. First, that they bought for a name of which they knew nothing and second, that price was not a deterrent in the least. No house has capitalized on this more than Balenciaga.
At what point will the novelty of the $1400 designer hoody lose its appeal? Lagging sales at Balenciaga suggest it has already. The falling stock prices for Kering are not my concern. What does matter to me is the Balenciaga name. Can the integrity of what Cristóbal Balenciaga represented be restored to the house? I know I’m not alone in my admiration for the master. The designer, Ralph Rucci, posted last week a Balenciaga runway look consisting of baggy jeans, trainers and a striped polo with a lengthy caption, ending with “WAKE THE FUCK UP”. You get the idea.
I’ve worshiped Cristóbal Balenciaga since I learned about him as a design student. Christian Dior famously referred to Balenciaga as, “the master of us all”. Coco Chanel called him, “The only couturier in the truest sense of the word, the others are simply fashion designers”. His creations are displayed in museums around the world. I’m not exaggerating when I say one of my most memorable moments in a museum occurred in a medieval chapel within The Cloisters in upper Manhattan. There, a 1967 Balenciaga wedding gown was displayed to maximum effect as part of the Heavenly Bodies show.
The Early Years
Balenciaga was born on January 21,1895 in the small fishing village of Guetaria, in the Basque province of northern Spain. His father, a sailor and mayor of the village, died young leaving behind a wife and three children. Balenciaga’s mother supported the family by teaching dressmaking to girls in the village. Through this early exposure, Balenciaga discovered his passion and natural aptitude for the craft. At the age of twelve he worked as an apprentice for a tailor in nearby San Sebastián. At thirteen, Balenciaga approached an elegant woman he observed and asked if she would let him design an outfit for her. “Why would you want to do that?” she asked. “Because I think I could” was his response. That fateful exchange with the Marquesa de Casa Torrés set Balenciaga on the path to his destiny. There is no record of that first attempt, but he continued to work for the Marquesa and was permitted access to her wardrobe and trusted to copy dresses for her.
Balenciaga opened his first couture house in San Sebastián in 1919. Throughout the twenties and thirties he opened additional shops in Madrid and Barcelona. The Civil War in Spain eventually forced Balenciaga to move to Paris. In August of 1937 he showed his first Parisian collection. Despite his notoriety in Spain, the press took little note. Sales however were brisk, and the first collection was a commercial success. Word quickly spread and within a year the house was firmly established.
The Paris Years
Throughout the forties and fifties, Balenciaga reigned as the undisputed master of couture. He had the respect and friendship of his contemporaries including Chanel, Givenchy and Vionnet. During World War II the house continued to operate throughout the German occupation of Paris. Due to gas rationing, loyal clients would cycle to fittings and carry their bikes up the three floors to the atelier.
Despite his policy of denying interviews and photographs of himself, the press treated him with reverence, adding to his mystique and dominance in fashion. By the mid sixties however, a seismic shift was taking place. The rise of Courrèges, a former employee, fueled by mini skirts, futuristic fashion and a youth obsessed culture, changed fashion. The praise once lavished on all Balenciaga collections had cooled considerably as the importance of the couture waned with the advent of prêt à porter. Undeterred, Balenciaga continued his artistic pursuit for purity of form. He rejected lucrative offers to launch his own prêt à porter stating, “I shall never prostitute my art”.
The End of an Era
In May of 1968, after years of dwindling sales, the house of Cristóbal Balenciaga closed its doors. Many of his longtime clients were devastated, Diana Vreeland and Mona von Bismarck among them. Von Bismarck was reported to have been so distraught by the news that she took to her bed for three days. It was the end of an era. Decades later, by benefit of hindsight, the world came to realize that during the sixties Balenciaga achieved what his entire career was leading to; purity of form. In these late career masterpieces the entirety of his genius coalesced.
Balenciaga Now
For the Spring ’25 Balenciaga show, Demna Gvasalia presented some new ideas such as the seemingly modest dresses in front, heavily laced in the back. For the show they exposed slices of skin, but commercially, as demonstrated by brand ambassador Nicole Kidman, a more modest alternative is possible.
The majority of the show however relied on old standbys; oversized bombers, low slung baggy jeans, giant shoulders and the in-your-face ugly aesthetic Demna is known for. There were new ideas, but ideas are easy. Fully developed ideas, well executed, contributing to a cohesive whole are not. It’s time that distinction is made. Demna is not the enfant terrible he was nearly ten years ago, nor has he sufficiently evolved. I believe he’s a talented designer with original ideas, but he seems to have become complacent. His talents would be better served at his own brand, Vetements.
The Future of Balenciaga
As a heritage brand, Balenciaga should stand out for its unique history as a house of integrity and excellence. It’s my belief that Kering could better capitalize on this by leaning into its couture roots and paying homage to the creative genius of Balenciaga by hiring a designer cut from the same cloth. I mentioned Pier Paolo Piccioli. He understands modern luxury without being mired in the past. Another brilliant designer is Josep Font, his work at Delpozo was outstanding. The parallels between Font and Balenciaga are pronounced, further emphasized because he is also Spanish. It’s time the house of Balenciaga reclaimed its place as the leader in luxury. That would be real news.
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xxx Jolain
Hi Holly, I think it's time for a change. I feel it's disrespecting the consumer to charge 1400 dollars for a cotton hoody with a designer name plastered on it. Particularly when the name they're exploiting is one of the greats. Yes, I'm also hoping for a brighter future! Thanks for reading and commenting!
100% agree — one can love Denma and still simultaneously believe it’s time for a change at Balenciaga.