Balenciaga S.A. is luxury fashion house brand owned by the French multinational company Kering. It was originally founded in Spain by Cristóbal Balenciaga, a designer born in Spain. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was referred to as “the master of us all” by Christian Dior. His bubble skirts and odd, feminine, yet “modernistic silhouettes” became the trademarks of the house.
Cristóbal opened his first boutique in San Sebastián, Spain, in 1917, which expanded to include branches in Madrid and Barcelona. The Spanish royal family and the aristocracy wore his designs, but when the Spanish Civil War forced him to close his stores, the company moved to Paris. Reference: Wikipedia
Balenciaga Label
Evening dress and jacket made in Paris, France, 1954. This silk evening dress and jacket was designed and made by the Spanish born couturier Cristobal Balenciaga in Paris, France in 1954 and was owned and worn by Phyllis Kendall, Sydney socialite and charity worker. The dress demonstrates Balenciaga’s skill in sculpting fabric through its elegant and harmonious proportions and balloon silhouette. The balloon silhouette became a trademark for Balenciaga in the post-war era. Compared to other couture garments of the time, especially those of Dior, the dress is simple to put on and wear. It can be stepped into, zipped up at the back and studded over to conceal the zip underneath. The skirt is ruffled, draping asymmetrically, and gathered at the hemline. Balenciaga was uninfluenced by his fellow couturiers and shied away from publicity. He did not join the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, France’s “Trade Union of High Fashion” which governs all the fashion houses, and never made ready-to-wear garments. This particular dress and jacket is a representative example of Balenciaga couture, not only for its sculpted shape and workmanship, but also for the dark monochrome colour and use of plain fabric. Balenciaga is particularly well-known for his use of black, a trait which harks back to his Spanish origins.
Reference: Museum of Applied Art and Sciences
Balenciaga Haute couture, printemps-été 1967 A short lace evening dress with raised cordonnets of ivory picot tape and hem of pink gazar with self-fringe
Sold for 2,250 EUR at Sotheby’s in 2017
A Balenciaga beige leather handbag height 7in (17cm); width 11 1/2in (29cm); depth 4in (10cm)
Sold for US$ 312 (£ 244) inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2017
A MATTE NAVY BLUE PYTHON MINI MOTORCYCLE BAG WITH SILVER HARDWARE 2010S
GRADE: 1.5 25 w x 16 h x 10 d cm includes information card, small mirror, shoulder strap and dustbag Python Reticulatus, Annexe CITES II-B
Sold for HKD 8,125 at Christie’s in 2019
Balenciaga Fan Brooch Jean Pierre for Balenciaga, France, 1950 Silver plated metal, transparent drop-shaped faceted rhinestones, accented with small black glass stones, 3 x 3 1/3 inches, signed: Depose.
Sold for $1,015 (includes buyer’s premium) at Doyle New York in 2004
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