Balenciaga
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Founded in 1918 by the Basque designer Cristobal Balenciaga, the house emerged as one of the great design establishments in the early decades of the twentieth century, and re-emerged around the turn of the new millennium as one of the greats of the twenty-first. Championed alike by actual queens (of Spain and Belgium) and the queens of café society and Hollywood (Babe Paley, Gloria Guinness, Marlene Dietrich), Balenciaga did nothing less than redefine the female silhouette. Throughout the mid-century years, he introduced forms that at first looked awkward or simply unattractive, but, as the eye adjusted, became the latest word in chic: the sack, the baby doll, the balloon skirt, the bracelet sleeve (a 7/8 length that hit just shy of the wrist).
Balenciaga was the son of a seamstress from a small fishing village. At the urging of a prominent patron, he attended tailoring school in Madrid, and soon opened boutiques in the country. The Spanish Civil War forced him to relocate to Paris in 1937—a tragic turn of events that had a silver lining: The greater stage of Paris gave him a chance to expland his clientele and solidify his reputation as the "couturier of couturiers."
The operation, then exclusively couture, closed in 1968, an event that caused Countess Mona von Bismarck to lock herself indoors for three days. Balenciaga died in 1972.
In 1987, the name was revived as a prêt-à-porter label, but it wasn't until 1997, when the youthful French designer Nicolas Ghesquière came onboard as creative director, that the house began to regain its former prominence. Giving concepts from the rich Balenciaga archives an intriguing rethink, the instinctively progressive Ghesquière was dubbed a new messiah by the press. In 2001, the Gucci Group added Balenciaga to its stable of luxury brands. These days, tabloid images of the princesses of Hollywood wearing—and carrying—Balenciaga keep the knockoff factories churning.
Nicolas Ghesquière
When Nicolas Ghesquière's name appears in print, superlatives usually follow. Shortly after his appointment as creative director of Balenciaga in 1997, at the age of 26, the fashion press contorted itself into attitudes of obeisance. In particular, the critics noted his uncanny ability to jump-start and influence trends. In 2006, The New York Times went so far as to call him the most important designer of his generation.
His approach combines elements respectfully poached from Balenciaga's rich heritage with futuristic flourishes (futuristic, often, in the retro-sixties sense). Slices of shantung and plastic might adorn a sack dress; a color-saturated floral print from the house archives might be worked into a sculpted bell dress paired with knee-high leather gladiator boots.
Ghesquière, whose Belgian father was a swimming coach, was born in Lille, France, and announced his intention to become a fashion designer as a teenager. An internship at Agnès B. followed, and he eventually landed an assistant gig at Jean Paul Gaultier. When an opening on Balenciaga's design team cropped up, Ghesquière jumped at the chance. Two years later, he was promoted to creative director.
His signature looks include the skinny pant, sharply tailored dresses in techno materials like embroidered latex or patent leather, motorcycle jackets, gold metal "robot" leggings, and anything with a dramatic shoulder (be it voluminous and rounded or a batwing).
Under Ghesquière, the house has expanded into menswear and made a huge splash with accessories, particularly handbags and shoes. In 2001, he was honored with the CFDA's International Award. In January 2008, he was made a Chevalier of Arts and Letters, the highest arts accolade one can receive from the French government.
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