Balenciaga
Cristóbal Balenciaga founded his fashion label in 1917 in San Sebastian, Spain. In 1937, following the Spanish Civil War, he moved the brand in Paris, where he became a celebrated couturier and established Balenciaga’s reputation for highly conceptual, ultra-modern shapes.
After more than 50 years in business, Balenciaga closed his atelier in 1968. It was revived in 1986 under the ownership of Jacques Bogart SA and following a series of lackluster collections, found new life under designer Nicolas Ghesquière, who served as creative director from 1997 to 2012.
Since October 2015, Balenciaga’s men’s and women’s collections have been overseen by Georgian designer and artistic director Demna Gvasalia, who has worked to create desirable fashion while also engaging in broader dissertations on cultural, social and political topics.
At the same time, Gvasalia has built close relationships with other luxury and sportswear brands through a plethora of collaborative efforts with the likes of Gucci, Adidas and Vibram. Balenciaga’s work with Crocs, in particular, has produced numerous head-turning shoes that have gotten the fashion set talking.
In recent seasons, Balenciaga become a serious player in the sneaker space with its maximalist Triple S and Track sneakers, as well as its distinctive knit Speed sneaker.
Balenciaga has been part of the Kering group since 2001.
Balenciaga
Experts Unpack Designer Debuts for Spring 2026
A slew of major houses in Europe had new designers taking the helm.
Getting Ready for Balenciaga Spring 2026 With Anna Van Patten
The "Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox" actress, who will star in the upcoming season of "Euphoria," shares a…
For Balenciaga Debut, Pierpaolo Piccioli Declared the Flip-flop Trend Here to Stay
The Balenciaga spring 2026 collection was presented on Saturday at Paris Fashion Week.
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Meghan Markle Does Draped Monochrome Dressing in Black and White for the Balenciaga Show During Paris Fashion Week
The Duchess of Sussex attended creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli's spring 2026 show.
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Balenciaga Debut: Industry Experts React
WWD polled fashion historians, curators and buyers about the house's direction under the new designer.
Balenciaga Spring 2026: Sacks, Bubbles — and Loads of Chic
In a strong debut, Pierpaolo Piccioli melded the legacy of Cristóbal Balenciaga, his most important…
Pierpaolo Piccioli Shares His Vision for Balenciaga
"I want to make the ordinary very extraordinary," he said in an expansive interview ahead of his debut…
Linda Farrow Is Back and Ready for Her Close Up
Simon Jablon, the creative director and chief executive officer of the brand, has tapped his mother for the…
Eva Longoria Takes Stark White Balenciaga Knife Pumps to ‘Late Night With Seth Meyers’
She wore a white dress, ignoring the 'no white after Labor Day' rule.
Kering Confirms Data Breach
The French luxury group said no financial information was involved in the incident, which took place in June.
EXCLUSIVE: Fashionphile Book Looks at the 25 Handbags That Have Shaped Fashion and Culture
The new coffee-table book gives an inside look into the most iconic bags across the resale market.
Who’s the Greatest Designer of Them All?
WWD asked designers to chose the three most influential designers of the last 115 years.
Balenciaga Launches Perfume Collection and Fragrance Store
The 10 scents are now sold in the same location where Le Dix, the house's first fragrance, debuted in 1947.
‘They Told WWD’: 115 Quotes From the Pages of WWD Over 115 Years
For 115 years, WWD has captured some of the most quotable moments from the voices that have kept fashion and…