FASHION brand Balenciaga is a name known to many of the rich and famous, but not so much is known about their ownership.
Known for their luxury products, with prices to match, we see celebrities draped in their designs at any given opportunity but we look to find out more about the people behind the brand.
Balenciaga was was acquired by multinational French company Kering in 2001.
Kering also own Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo and Qeelin.
Cristóbal Balenciaga opened his first boutique in San Sebastian, Spain, in 1919.
Even back then all of their clients were that of high society but the Spanish Civil War would force them to relocate the business.
It was in 1937 that Balenciaga opened his Paris boutique house on Avenue George V.
He showcased designs at the time which were inspired by the Spanish Renaissance and he became an instant success.
Customers risked their own safety to travel to Europe during World War II to see Balenciaga’s clothing.
Many questioned whether their ability to still trade during the war was due to Balenciaga’s connections with Spanish dictator General Franco, an ally of the German regime.
Balenciaga, in fact, produced clothes for the Franco family, their connections were that close.
It is most known for revolutionizing women’s fashion with never-before-seen shapes in the mid-20th century, such as the “ballroom hems” of the early 1950s, the “semi-fit” lines of the mid-50s and the introduction of the “sack dress” in 1957.
Demna Gvasalia is the current designer at Balenciaga.
He was born in Georgia on March 25, 1981 to a Georgian father and a Russian mother.
Gvasalia moved to Antwerp, Belgium where he enrolled in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and graduated with a Masters’ Degree in Fashion Design in 2006.
In 2014, he launched his own brand, VETEMENTS, and in October of the same year, he presented his first Women’s ready-to-wear collection in Paris.
On October 7, 2015 he is appointed artistic Director of Balenciaga’s collections.
With the advent of new forms of footwear, particularly the sock sneaker, Balenciaga released the Speed Sock that attracted much attention amongst influencers and fashionistas alike.
Balenciaga’s creative direction has led the brand to all-star status attracting the likes of Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and Kim Kardashian to the fashion house.
Their ironic, polarizing and ironic designs even played a major role in Kanye’s Donda performance and stint at GAP.
They describe the sneakers as elevating the sock-like construction of performance athletic footwear alongside an oversized articulated sole to establish a sporty and “forward-looking” profile.
