This Spanish refugee stepped down at the height of his success and told everyone that this would be the end of Balenciaga. But unfortunately for him, nobody listened.
Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre was born on January 21, 1895, in Getaria, a small village in Spain’s Basque region.
His mother, Martina Eizaguirre, was a dressmaker while his father worked as a fisherman. As his father passed away when he was still very young, little Cristobal spent many hours by his mother’s side while she created beautiful clothes. From very early on, he cultivated the dream of one day becoming a couturier. But seeing that his mom was working hard to make ends meet, it also seemed clear that this wouldn’t be the most lucrative job…
This all changed when the Spanish aristocrat, the Marquesa de Casa Torres, invited Cristobal’s mother to be her personal seamstress. The most prominent woman in town was now his mom’s patron and client. And impressed by Cristobal’s attention to detail, the rich lady even offered him the opportunity of a lifetime! She sent him to Madrid for formal training in tailoring and she proudly wore the ornaments he created. Cristobal’s skills improved drastically. And many began viewing him as a sort of prodigy.
In his early twenties, he opened his own couture boutique in the fashionable seaside resort of San Sebastián. His designs were worn by the Spanish royal family and members of the aristocracy. And Cristóbal soon opened more branches in Madrid and Barcelona. People adored his exclusive creations, but… his good fortune was about to come to an end… The Spanish Civil War forced the closure of his boutiques, and to escape the war, Cristóbal decided to move to the fashion capital of the world… Paris.
Would he still be loved there too?...
Sources:
Cristobal Balenciaga
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www.theitalian...
Nicolas Ghesquière
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www.wonderland...
Demna Gvasalia
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www.elle.com.a...
Balenciaga
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www.luxuryabod...
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