10 fun facts and interesting curiosities about the designer Cristóbal Balenciaga, the designer nicknamed the &quot;teacher of us all&quot; by Christian Dior.

Nowadays, the figures of the designers are seen as real celebrities, showy characters with a golden career that give each season clothes that make you dream. <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/trend-flowers-womens-fashion-shows-collections-spring-summer-2023-prints-applications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flowers</a> , weaves, colors, rouge and flounces, every year <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/start-of-the-week-haute-couture-history-archive-haute-couture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">High Fashion</a> challenges itself to conquer the first place in the hearts of enthusiasts. But who started this cult of the figure of the stylist? Who was the first to make this work legendary by becoming an almost mythological figure itself? The answer, universally recognized, is one: Crist&oacute;bal Balenciaga.
<a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/tv-series-films-documentaries-fashion-to-see-netflix-amazon-prime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Dior</a> called him " the master of us all", Hubert de Givenchy commented "he is the architect of Haute Couture" and also the (most fearsome) <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/coco-chanel-and-igor-stravinsky-a-mysterious-love-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coco Chanel</a> <a href="https://www.lofficielitalia.com/moda/10-curiosita-che-non-sapevi-su-coco-chanel-nuova-biografia-corriere-della-sera" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a>he said "after all, he was the only true couturier, the others are just fashion designers". Spanish by birth, he opened his first boutique in 1937 in Paris and soon became one of the most popular stylists of the time. His clothes are as majestic and celebratory as he is reserved and self-effacing, if you know little about the history of the man who revolutionized Haute Couture, L'Officiel takes you on a journey to discover the 10 most interesting facts about the designer's life.

Discover the most beautiful anecdotes about Crist&oacute;bal Balenciaga, the master of Haute Couture

Balenciaga was born in 1895 in Getaria (a small town in the Spanish province of Gipuzkoa) Son of a fairly poor family, from an early age he often found himself helping his mother a seamstress, at the age of 11 he was already very good with a needle and thread. Only a year later he left school to devote himself full time to his mother&#39;s tailor shop, where he became her assistant.

He learned to sew at age 11

In love with fashion from an early age, Balenciaga often associated with the noblewomen of his city who appreciated the young designer&#39;s creations and skill. Here he met the Marquise <a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchesa" class="mw-redirect" title="Balenciaga (company)"></a> of Casa Torres, Blanca Carrillo de Albornoz y Elio, who became his client and patroness. On behalf of the woman, he made numerous trips, including several to the border city of Biarritz , to go and see how French women dressed. Here he learned the language and in a short time was able to master it to perfection

Travels to Biarritz

Cristóbal Balenciaga had already opened three boutiques in Spain (and all the Spanish royal family were his clients) when, in 1936, he was forced to flee the country at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Balenciaga reluctantly moved to Paris and his new store opened on Avenue George V in August 1937.

He moved to Paris to escape the war

His team was very loyal to the designer. What were those who worked for Balenciaga nicknamed? Monsters , that is, monsters

His team consisted of little "monsters"

Broad shoulders and square shapes (the square coat , the designer&#39;s iconic garment, was so successful that there were people willing to travel all over Europe to have it) were his stylistic code. Sublime softness of the shape, volume around the waist and asymmetrical on the length, he created basic pieces like the semi-fitted dress and the peacock tail dress that still remain in the history of the most beautiful creations

He revolutionized the silhouettes of women

Lover of soft lines and delicate femininity, Balenciaga has reshaped the figure of women with its baby doll dress. From Twiggy&#39;s curvy, sleeveless take to Courtney Love&#39;s grunge interpretation, the curveless, puffy A-line dress has been reinvented countless times since its creation in 1958.

Invented the baby doll dress

Unlike most of his fellow designers, Balenciaga has always tried to avoid the limelight: he never bowed at the end of his shows and the only full interview he ever granted was in 1971, to Prudence Glyn of The Times.

He was very private

In his laboratory, apprentices of luxury such as Oscar de la Renta , Emanuel Ungaro , Mila Sch&ouml;n and Hubert de Givenchy are trained .
Who were the designer's muses and supporters? T he Countess von Bismarck, influencer of the time, but also Wallis Simpson , Grace Kelly , <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/history-behind-jackie-kennedy-pink-suit-chanel-jfk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackie Kennedy,</a> Helena Rubinstein , Greta Garbo. In 1960 he also designed Fabiola 's wedding dress for her wedding to Prince Baudouin I of Belgium

Apprentices and Muses

The 1968 Air France flight attendants were perhaps the most stylish crew of all time. Their navy blue suits, designed just before Balenciaga announced his retirement from the fashion world, featured elegant lines and white details. Fashion exclusively for stewardess was a trend of the time: Emilio Pucci designed the Harlequin-style uniforms for Braniff Airlines in 1965, while Pierre Cardin was the brains behind the futuristic 1969 capes for Olympic Airlines ladies.

The most chic flight attendants ever

Crist&oacute;bal Balenciaga was one of the first openly homosexuals (although he always kept his personal life very private). The love of his life and longtime partner, he met in Paris, the Franco-Polish milliner Władzio Jaworowski from Attainville . Collaborator, partner and inspirer, he is a valid support for the success of the maison. When Jaworowski died in 1948, Balenciaga was so broken that he fell into a depression and considered closing the business. He remained practically faithful to him for the rest of his life, maintaining only unimportant relationships from that moment on.

10 fun facts that trace the history of Cristóbal Balenciaga

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