Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972) was a Haute Couture Designer who founded the House of Balenciaga. He is credited with having such a huge impact on the fashion industry, many designers are still inspired by his exquisite craftsmanship and innovative designs today. He was ‘the’ fashion designer for royals, the rich and famous (e.g. Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, etc.) During his entire fashion career, his contemporaries admired and deeply respected him as a couturier. 

how others viewed Cristóbal balenciaga

Perhaps the most popular quote people spread about Balenciaga was from Coco Chanel, keeping in mind that she was extremely critical of all designers, she said: “Balenciaga is the only couturier in the truest sense of the word, others are simply fashion designers.” However, this is actually a shortened version of what Coco Chanel said during her interview with Paris Match. 

What Coco Chanel really said was: “The others are draftsmen or copyists, or else they are inspired people or even geniuses, but Balenciaga alone is a couturier. He is the only one who can design, cut, put together and sew a suit or a gown entirely alone.”

Cristóbal Balenciaga had a sort of obsession with cloth, he never sketched but instead started with draping the cloth and folding it in different ways. A perfectionist, he never seemed satisfied with his work, always striving for more, and he had a passion for creating beautiful, exceptional dresses. Seeking to please himself, and not the masses. 

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Cristóbal Balenciaga’s Childhood and Humble Beginnings

January 21st 1895, Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre was born in a small Spanish Fishing Village in Basque, Getaria. His parents, José Balenciaga Basurto and Martina Eizaguirre Embil had five children, two of whom died before Cristóbal was born. Unfortunately his father died as a mariner when he was very young so he was one of three children brought up by his mother who was a seamstress. 

Although Cristóbal grew up in a small fishing village, he had exceptional circumstances that naturally introduced him to the lifestyle and mannerisms of the Spanish nobility through his parents and connections that gained from their jobs as a mariner and seamstress. 

How Cristobal Balenciaga Connected with Spanish Nobility

His father, José Balenciaga was a well respected man being that he was elected mayor of the town twice on separate occassions. Whilst a mariner like most men in Getaria, he was trusted with great responsibility and appointed skipper of the Guipuzcoana, a small shallow draft that belonged to the State that was used to fight smuggling activities. This boat was also used for auxiliary activities of the Royal family. One of which was ferrying the Royal Family to San Sebastian for their annual summer vacation. 

This led to Jose Balenciaga making connections with the elite nobility, including the Marquis and Marchioness of Casa Torres who were pivotal in Cristóbal’s Career. At this time the Spanish Nobility were required to pay close attention to their physical appearance and collected a phenomenal wardrobe. Their garments played a key role in their social life, thus they made frequent trips to Paris and London acquiring impeccable elegant pieces of clothing. To keep her wardrobe up to date and in good condition, she hired Cristóbal’s mother as her personal seamstress. This meant Cristóbal was able to learn sewing of high quality clothing first hand, by the time he was 12, he had developed a keen sense of appreciation for design. 

Cristóbal’s legacy of haute couture began from his mother’s connection as the personal seamstress for a Spanish noble, Marquesa De Casa Torres. Cristobal mused that everyday immediately after school, with permission, he would go to Vista Ona which housed the exquisite wardrobe of Marquesa De Casa Torres and he would examine every detail of the sophisticated designs. When he was 12, his precocious passion and attention to detail emboldened him to suggest to the Dowager Marchioness of Casa Torres that he could copy the Parisian dress she was wearing at that time. Intrigued, the lady gave him all the materials that he needed and he must have impressed her with his creation so much that she offered to set him up with an apprenticeship in tailoring. 

This was the opportunity of a lifetime, because without her help Cristóbal would never have gotten this type of opportunity to learn the trade. Cristóbal’s skills improved quickly and he was considered a prodigy in Spain. By the time he was 24, he had gathered enough aristocratic clients with the help of Marquesa De Casa Torres that he was able to open his first couture boutique. Eventually his works became known worldwide and Balenciaga became a household name.  So began the legacy of the house of Balenciaga.

“Elegance is elimination” – Cristóbal Balenciaga

His Personal Life

Cristóbal Balenciaga was an intensely private person and rarely ever revealed any personal details of his life. It’s said that he dreaded the millionaire’s wives who would flock to his stores and he refrained from meeting them, letting his employees handle the front of house responsibilities.

He never spoke to the press. Never made appearances at his own fashion shows, and during his lifetime he only had two interviews, both after his retirement. These interviews were both held by the French magazine, Parish Match. 

Balenciaga was gay and did have a lifelong partner, Franco-Polish millionaire Wladzio Jawarowski d’Attainville who also helped fund and set up Balenciaga, however he never explicitly mentioned his sexuality.