What was the real name of Balenciaga?

The real name of Balenciaga was Cristóbal Balenciaga. He was born in the quiet fishing village of Getaria in Spain’s Basque region in 1895. In 1917, he established his first haute couture house — named Eisa for his mother — in the trendy resort town of San Sebastián. He soon followed it with boutiques in Madrid and Barcelona, drawing such clientele as the Spanish royal family. When the Spanish Civil War put a hold on his prospects in Spain, the designer moved to Paris, opening a house on Avenue Georges V in 1937. As an expert tailor, he experimented with sculptural silhouettes that didn’t follow the body. His notable designs include the 1953 balloon jacket and from 1957, the cocoon coat, the baby-doll dress and the sack dress, which he popularized with his good friend designer Hubert de Givenchy. All of these could be considered not just the masterpieces of haute couture but also objets d’art in their own right, leading to Balenciaga’s nickname, “The Master.” On 1stDibs, find a selection of Balenciaga apparel and accessories.