Brand Story
Balenciaga SA ( bə-LEN-see-AH-gə; Spanish: [balenˈθjaɣa]; Basque: [balents̻i.aɣa]) is a luxury fashion house headquartered in Paris. It designs, manufactures and markets ready-to-wear footwear, handbags, and accessories, and licenses its name and branding to the American cosmetics company Coty for its namesake fragrances. The brand was originally founded in San Sebastián in 1919 by the Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga before its establishment in Paris in 1937 as a result of the Spanish Civil War. Closed in 1968 by its founder who deceased three years later, Balenciaga was ultimately revitalized by the French fragrance group Jacques Bogart after the latter acquired the brand in 1986. Since 2001, it is owned by the French luxury goods company Kering, controlled by the Pinault family. Gianfranco Gianangeli has been CEO of Balenciaga since November 2024.
Timeline
- 1919
Founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in Spain
Cristóbal Balenciaga opens his first store in San Sebastián, dressing Spanish royalty.
- 1937
Paris house opens
Balenciaga moves to Paris during Spanish Civil War; becomes a defining couturier.
- 1968
House closes
Cristóbal Balenciaga shutters the maison; he dies in 1972.
- 2001
Nicolas Ghesquière revives Balenciaga
Kering-owned Balenciaga relaunches with Nicolas Ghesquière as creative director (1997-2012).
- 2015
Demna takes over
Demna Gvasalia becomes creative director, anchoring the streetwear-meets-couture era.