Cristóbal Balenciaga
"Haute couture is like an orchestra, whose conductor is Balenciaga" (http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Balenciaga). And indeed, in the world of Parisian fashion postwar, the Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga led the pack and was undoubtedly named the king of dressmakers. Even Coco Chanel described him as a couturier "in the truest sense of the word", the only one who was capable of "cutting material, assembling a creation, and sewing it by hand". After founding the house of Balenciaga in 1918, he churned out designs heavily inspired by Spain and its arts that became immediate successes, and were highly sought after by royals and aristocrats to fulfill their needs year-round. He was the master of creating new shapes, with an unparalleled list of innovations. This spirit of innovation and of setting trends rather than following them would come to define the house of Balenciaga, and set it apart in the fashion world.
After Balenciaga moved his company from Spain to Paris in 1936, his debut collection showcased much of the designer's Spanish roots and culture. The collection was heavily influenced by the Spanish Renaissance, with Balenciaga interpreting many historical styles. He created "infanta" gowns inspired by the costumes of young Spanish princesses from the paintings of Diego Velázquez, as well as ornamented jackets inspired by ones traditionally worn by Spanish toreadors in the bullfighting ring (http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/hd/bale/hd_bale.htm). Photographer Cecil Beaton described his clothing as a combination of "the refinement of France and the strength of Spain". Yet perhaps Cristóbal Balenciaga's greatest genius lay in his pioneering spirits and the completely new silhouettes that he debuted for womenswear. He favoured fluid lines that gave him much freedom over the shapes of his clothing in relation to a woman's body. His innovative creations included his square coat, his balloon jacket in 1953, his high-waisted baby doll dress in 1957, his draped cocoon coat, and balloon skirt. He also debuted semifitted suits that were tailored in the front and loose in the back, truly placing Balenciaga at the absolute frontline, leading a revolution in women's fashion. He played around with waistlines with grace and ease, dropping it then raising it with no concern of where the natural waistline fell. In 1957 and 1958, he essentially got rid of waistlines altogether with his sack and chemise dress, neither of which had a perceivable waist. The new shape completely shattered the traditional silhouettes of womenswear, and took the fashion world by storm. Balenciaga's designs were marked by fluidity, impeccable skill and tailoring combined with innovative shapes and the most surprising of elements. His contributions to the world of fashion were innumerable, and his legacy and spirit would live on, but would take almost 30 years to be revived again in the house of Balenciaga.
Nicolas Ghesquiére
After Cristóbal Balenciaga's retirement in 1968, the legendary couturier was impossible to replace for decades and decades. The fashion house was unable to be raised back to its heights, until in 1977, a relatively unknown, 25 year old french designer was appointed artistic director. Suzy Menkes from the International Herald Tribune declared that Nicolas Ghesquiére was the most "intriguing and original designer of his generation". And there could not have been another designer better fit for the role at Balenciaga. Inspired by all the extreme parts of Balenciaga's work, Ghesquiére brought his own futuristic, abstract, and above all innovative touch to the fashion house, all of which were also perfectly aligned with the founder's spirit. It was almost as if the great couturier had lived on to create new things through Ghesquiére. Ghesquiére's work was at once completely original and his own, and yet at the same time married to the style of Balenciaga, and what it represented. He single-handedly built the modern reputation of the brand, taking it once again to soaring popularity with some of the most widely imitated designs in the industry.
Ghesquiére's work was widely renowned for its precision fit, and more importantly, its experiments with the cutting-edge and avant-garde. He was fearless and explored all types of unexpected shapes, volumes, textures and fabrics. He played with elements that were almost sci-fi and took full advantage of modern technology to create his designs. In his Spring 2009 Ready-To-Wear show he showed a series of fine, metallic crinkle-pleated jackets and finale dresses cut in iridescent colours that resembled solar panels. For Spring 2012 Ready-To-Wear, he showed spongy colour-blocked jackets with exaggerated shoulders, swirling, abstract prints, and patchworked dresses with ballooning backs that really pushed the silhouette. Ghesquiére adopted the innovative spirit of Balenciaga, churning out new concepts after new concepts, and once again brought the house of Balenciaga the absolute forefront of fashion.
At his Fall 2013 Ready-To-Wear debut collection for Balenciaga, Wang appeared to have done a successful, sleek homage to the brand's roots, and even infused edgier elements such marble prints and cracked patterns on the clothing. By his Spring 2014 Ready-To-Wear, he found more of his own footing, injecting ease and wearability into the house's codes. He showed well-executed sporty streetswear as well as easy, elegant evening pieces. Overall, the future of Alexander Wang for Balenciaga seems to lie in the more American kind of wearability that Wang is no doubt comfortable with, and that will perhaps open the brand up to a broader market.
Ghesquiére's work was widely renowned for its precision fit, and more importantly, its experiments with the cutting-edge and avant-garde. He was fearless and explored all types of unexpected shapes, volumes, textures and fabrics. He played with elements that were almost sci-fi and took full advantage of modern technology to create his designs. In his Spring 2009 Ready-To-Wear show he showed a series of fine, metallic crinkle-pleated jackets and finale dresses cut in iridescent colours that resembled solar panels. For Spring 2012 Ready-To-Wear, he showed spongy colour-blocked jackets with exaggerated shoulders, swirling, abstract prints, and patchworked dresses with ballooning backs that really pushed the silhouette. Ghesquiére adopted the innovative spirit of Balenciaga, churning out new concepts after new concepts, and once again brought the house of Balenciaga the absolute forefront of fashion.
Spring 2009 Ready-To-Wear
Spring 2012 Ready-To-Wear
Alexander Wang
Unfortunately, even the perfect union of Ghesquiére and Balenciaga would not last. After 15 years at the brand, it was suddenly announced that Ghesquiére would be succeeded by the 28 year old American designer Alexander Wang, a move that seemed unexpected and even inappropriate. No one was sure how Wang, famous for his takes on sportswear and slouchy T-shirts at his own brand, could handle the reigns at the legendary powerhouse. With only a few collections at Balenciaga under his belt, it seems that even though Ghesquiére's relentless innovation is clearly missing, Wang has a good feel for a more classical Balenciaga tinged with some of his signature, contemporary style.At his Fall 2013 Ready-To-Wear debut collection for Balenciaga, Wang appeared to have done a successful, sleek homage to the brand's roots, and even infused edgier elements such marble prints and cracked patterns on the clothing. By his Spring 2014 Ready-To-Wear, he found more of his own footing, injecting ease and wearability into the house's codes. He showed well-executed sporty streetswear as well as easy, elegant evening pieces. Overall, the future of Alexander Wang for Balenciaga seems to lie in the more American kind of wearability that Wang is no doubt comfortable with, and that will perhaps open the brand up to a broader market.
Fall 2013 Ready-To-Wear
Spring 2014 Ready-To-Wear
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