Balenciaga: 'the master' of couture's sculptural garments – in pictures (2024)

The work of Cristóbal Balenciaga, one of the 20th century’s most revered fashion designers, is on display at Bendigo Art Gallery. The Shaping Fashion exhibition, curated by London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, explores the legacy of the Spanish couturier and his pioneering use of fabrics which revolutionised the silhouette. The exhibition features more than 100 garments and hats by the designer and sit alongside archival sketches, patterns, photographs, fabric samples and catwalk footage. Balenciaga’s pieces – characterised by their sculptural quality, deft manipulation of textiles and dramatic use of colour and texture – were revered by his contemporaries, including Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, and continue to inspire fashion designers today.

Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion is on at the Bendigo Art Gallery until 10 November 2019

Balenciaga: 'the master' of couture's sculptural garments – in pictures (2024)

FAQs

What does Balenciaga stand for? ›

Balenciaga. Place of origin. Spain. Following Basque naming customs, the name is a toponymic meaning house or place of the whaler, referring to the patronymic house of a family originally devoted to whaling.

What is the most famous piece of Balenciaga? ›

Balenciaga introduced his now-famous balloon jacket in 1953, a style that created an elegantly wide shape with full sleeves and body. Balenciaga's balloon hems became a signature look and one way he transformed the female silhouette in fashion, inspiring generations of designers.

Who owns Balenciaga now? ›

Kering (French: [kɛːʁiŋ]) is a French-based multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods. It owns the brands Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Creed and Alexander McQueen.

Who was Balenciaga's wife? ›

Because Balenciaga never married and kept his personal life strictly private, rumours occasionally abounded over his sexuality. The two biggest wounds in Balenciaga's life were the triumph of Christian Dior's 'New Look' in 1947, and the death of d'Attainville the year after.

Why is Balenciaga so expensive? ›

Due to the impressive historical namesake, innovations with trends, quality craftsmanship, mainstay fashion offerings, status, and continued relevance in the fashion industry, Balenciaga can maintain high price points. Despite being expensive, there are ways to save and make money with Balenciaga bags.

Why is Balenciaga so famous? ›

Famed for his exquisite craftmanship and innovative designs, Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga was known as 'The Master' of haute couture. An inspiration to those who follow in his footsteps, his work continues to shape fashion today. Haute couture is like an orchestra whose conductor is Balenciaga.

What is Balenciaga hate for? ›

The backlash against the images was swift, with the hashtag #cancelBalenciaga trending across Twitter and TikTok and many accusing the brand and its creative director, Demna, of condoning pedophilia and child exploitation.

Which celebrity is the face of Balenciaga? ›

Kim Kardashian becomes Balenciaga's brand ambassador two years after fashion label's controversy. After Kim Kardashian cut ties with Balenciaga in 2022 following backlash in response to a campaign depicting children in questionable light, the beauty brand billionaire is now the face of the luxury fashion house.

Is Balenciaga still popular? ›

In the U.S. high-end fashion market, Balenciaga is a known entity with over 60 percent of luxury fashion owners aware of the brand. However, it trails in popularity. In terms of actual ownership, Balenciaga comes in at less than 15 percent of luxury fashion owners.

Who is the female owner of Balenciaga? ›

Demna Gvasalia (Georgian: დემნა გვასალია dem-NAH gvah-SAH-lee-AH; born 25 March 1981), known as Demna (/dɛmnʌ/ dem-NAH) is a Georgian fashion designer, currently the creative director of Balenciaga and the co-founder of Vetements.

Is Kanye part of Balenciaga? ›

Balenciaga Ends Relationship With Kanye West. Parent company Kering confirmed the fashion house is cutting ties with the rapper.

Who wears Balenciaga? ›

Brand Ambassadors

In November 2023, Balenciaga appointed Michelle Yeoh as its brand ambassador. In December 2023, Balenciaga introduced its new brand ambassador, Nicole Kidman. In January 2024, Kim Kardashian became the brand ambassador of Balenciaga.

Is Kim Kardashian related to Balenciaga? ›

The celebrity is a regular at the brand's shows — and has walked its runway and costarred in campaigns.

Did Balenciaga use real babies? ›

With trademark wit, he illustrated it in men with baby carriers holding what looked like real babies. (You could practically sense the Kardashian-Jenners reaching out for one.) “They were not real babies, but they were very realistic.

Why did Kim leave Balenciaga? ›

However, the move has angered many of Kardashian's fans following Balenciaga's Christmas 2022 ad scandal. The luxury brand was accused of "child abuse" and "pedophilia" over the divisive holiday campaign, which featured young children holding teddy bear backpacks wrapped in "bondage gear."

What does the Balenciaga logo mean? ›

The Balenciaga mark is the most powerful symbol in the fashion world. The logo shows the company's commitment to making high-end, stylish clothing known for having a modern, simple look. The Balenciaga mark has changed over time to become a symbol of class and good taste.

What does Balenciaga mean translate? ›

Like other replies say, that's the name of the luxury fashion house founded in the Basque Country (Spain) in 1919 by the Basque couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga. If you ask about the meaning of the name, it's a Basque surname that means “someone from Valencia”.

What does Balenciaga support? ›

Balenciaga supports the UNITED24 Platform for helping refugees. A charity T-shirt was created of which 100% of the net profits will be donated to the exclusively humanitarian Rebuild Ukraine Direction.

Why is everyone saying Balenciaga? ›

The backlash against the images was swift, with the hashtag #cancelBalenciaga trending across Twitter and TikTok and many accusing the brand and its creative director, Demna, of condoning pedophilia and child exploitation.

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