Balenciaga

Cristobal Balenciaga opened his Paris couture house in 1937 and was best known for his sculptural approach to design. Fashion photographer, Cecil Beaton once said that "he has established the Future of Fashion". The cut and construction of his clothing was often quite complicated, but the result was seemingly simple. After traveling to America he was determined to never use machines to make clothing and he is regarded as an architect among couturiers. Best known for his balloon, tunic and sac dresses, his technique was refined and simple and he often used stiffer fabrics to allow his shapes to 'stand up'. A master of his craft, Balenciaga trained many well known designers including André Courrèges and Emanuel Ungaro.