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Balenciaga (Firm)

 Organization

Dates

  • Existence: 1919 (date of establishment)

Biography

The house of Balenciaga was founded in 1937 by the Basque-born Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga, who fled his country amid the tensions of the Spanish Civil War. The house quickly rose to prominence as a leading French couture house, known for its sculptural creations and innovative silhouettes. Balenciaga sat at the helm of the house until his retirement in 1968. The house of Balenciaga was revived in 1986 under the creative direction of Michel Goma, followed by Josephus Thimister and notably Nicolas Ghesquière in 1997. In 2012, Alexander Wang replaced Ghesquière until 2015 when Demna Gvasalia was tapped as the house's new creative director.

Found in 9 Collections and/or Records:

Apparel Industry - Balenciaga, 1988-1991, 1988-1991

 folder
Identifier: SC.FITA.3.20.7.1.10
Scope and Contents

One photocopied and pasted page from International Designer Directory concerning the apparel firm Balenciaga.

Dates: 1988-1991

Sketches of suits, 1960s, 1960s

 folder
Identifier: SC.422.14
Scope and Contents

This folder is comprised of 72 sketches of women's suits, some attributed to other fashion designers.

Dates: 1960s

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, fall/winter 1995., 1995

 folder
Identifier: SC.497.55
Scope and Contents

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, fall/winter 1995.

Dates: 1995

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, fall/winter 1997., 1997

 folder
Identifier: SC.497.58
Scope and Contents

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, fall/winter 1997.

Dates: 1997

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, fall/winter 2001., 2001

 folder
Identifier: SC.497.60
Scope and Contents

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, fall/winter 2001.

Dates: 2001

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, spring/summer 1996., 1996

 folder
Identifier: SC.497.56
Scope and Contents

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, spring/summer 1996.

Dates: 1996

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, spring/summer 1997., 1997

 folder
Identifier: SC.497.57
Scope and Contents

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, spring/summer 1997.

Dates: 1997

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, spring/summer 1998., 1998

 folder
Identifier: SC.497.59
Scope and Contents

Slides of runway show(s) by Balenciaga, spring/summer 1998.

Dates: 1998

Symposium records, 2005

 folder
Identifier: SC.FITA.3.10.1.2.2
Scope and Contents Includes the papers and presentation delivered at the 2005 Symposium "Building Style." The names of the presenters and the title of their presentations contained in this folder are: Rebecca Jumper Matheson, "'A House that is Made of Hats': Fashion and Architecture in the Lilly Dashé Building;" Cassandra Gero, "Fashionable, Temporary and Flashy: Ready-to-Wear Environments by Archigram;" Mei-Hsueh Hung, "Silent Spaces: Balenciaga and Notre Dame du Haut at Ronchamp;" Nele Burnheim, "Carte...
Dates: 2005