From royal wedding dresses to trendy trainers: the rise and rise of Balenciaga
For young fashion fans, Balenciaga is the streetwear label of the moment: logoed hoodies, pre-scuffed trainers, luxe puffa jackets - the 'it' pieces of the moment. Since Demna Gvasalia, the founder of cooler-than-cool Vetements (think £900 jeans and a rebellious spirit) took the helm at the fashion house, it has become a go-to for recognisable, fashion statement buys - the pieces you see front row at fashion week, or head-to-toe on Rihanna.
But it was not always so. For those of us with a few more years under our belts, though, Balenciaga is something else altogether - and it may seem strange to see this lauded couturier's name - this is the man Christian Dior called the "master of us all" - printed onto trainers and rain macs. Last year's retrospective at the V&A revealed just how influential the brand has been since its launch in Spain in 1919.
After moving to Paris when the Spanish Civil War forced closure, Cristobal Balenciaga's sculptural designs quickly came to the attention of the press and of the aristocracy, who promptly placed orders. In 1960, he designed a wedding gown for Queen Fabiola of Belgium; Jacqueline Kennedy's Balenciaga habit caused President John F. Kennedy to worry that the public would find her spending too lavish - leaving his father to pick up the bill. When the couturier shuttered his doors in 1968, loyal customer Mona von Bismarck refused to leave her room for three days.
Today, the brand has launched an exclusive capsule collection of womenswear with Net-A-Porter (and one for men at Mr Porter). A bumper crop of 53 pieces boasts everything from Pantashoes (pantyhose/shoe hybrids) for budding superheroes, reimagined in a new shade of cobalt blue, to dresses, denim and hoodies, with prices from £75 for a pair of socks - it is "a complete wardrobe of Balenciaga", says creative director Demna Gvasalia.
It's a very different offering to what Cristobal himself might have designed, but perhaps not so very far from the brand's origins as you might think. Famed for his revolutionary, fresh designs, Balenciaga himself set the trends - just as Gvasalia is doing now.
"Balenciaga is one of the most exciting brands in luxury fashion, and we are honored to collaborate with the house. This project was a wonderful partnership and a first of its kind with Balenciaga’s campaign creators, Johnny Dufort and Lotta Volkova, photographing and styling our own teams wearing the exclusive collections against the backdrop of our offices" said Alison Loehnis, President of Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter.
Just as early Balenciaga designs can command display space in the V&A, so too may Gvasalia be remembered as the disruptive designer who put streetwear on the mainstream fashion agenda. Even those who cannot afford to buy his designs will find them copied again and again on the high street.
And perhaps the two designers have more in common than that, with both refusing to work within the restraints set by the fashion industry. Gvasalia made waves when he removed Balenciaga from the usual fashion week schedule, choosing to show at Paris' couture shows instead, and while Cristobal Balenciaga may be seen as a pillar of couture himself, his refusal to kow-tow to the Chambre syndicale meant that, technically, his designs were never classed as haute couture.
One is the rebellious designer of the moment - the other, a legend. But whichever butters your crumpet, there's no denying that Balenciaga is now, and has always been, a name worth investing in.
Shop the Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter x Balenciaga collections online now
