Cristóbal Balenciaga Biography

Cristóbal Balenciaga biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Cristóbal Balenciaga
OCCUPATION: Fashion Designer
BIRTH DATE: January 21, 1895
DEATH DATE: c. March 23, 1972
PLACE OF BIRTH: Guetaria, Spain

PLACE OF DEATH: Valencia, Spain

more about Cristóbal

Best Known For

Cristóbal Balenciaga was a Spanish-French fashion designer and the leading couturier of Spain in the 1920s-30s. He moved to Paris during the Spanish Civil War.

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Cristóbal Balenciaga

APA Style

Cristóbal Balenciaga. (2012). Biography.com. Retrieved 08:51, Feb 22, 2012 from http://www.biography.com/people/crist%C3%B3bal-balenciaga-38780

Harvard Style

Cristóbal Balenciaga [Internet]. 2012. http://www.biography.com/people/crist%C3%B3bal-balenciaga-38780, February 22

MLA Style

" Cristóbal Balenciaga." 2012. Biography.com 22 Feb 2012, 08:51 http://www.biography.com/people/crist%C3%B3bal-balenciaga-38780

MHRA Style

' Cristóbal Balenciaga', Biography.com,(2012) http://www.biography.com/people/crist%C3%B3bal-balenciaga-38780 [accessed Feb 22, 2012]

Chicago Style

" Cristóbal Balenciaga," Biography.com, http://www.biography.com/people/crist%C3%B3bal-balenciaga-38780 (accessed Feb 22, 2012).

CBE/CSE Style

Cristóbal Balenciaga [Internet]. Biography.com; 2012 [cited 2012 Feb 22]. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/crist%C3%B3bal-balenciaga-38780.

Bluebook Style

Cristóbal Balenciaga, http://www.biography.com/people/crist%C3%B3bal-balenciaga-38780 (last visited Feb 22, 2012).

AMA Style

Cristóbal Balenciaga, http://www.biography.com/people/crist%C3%B3bal-balenciaga-38780 (last visited Feb 22, 2012).

Synopsis

Cristóbal Balenciaga was born on January 21, 1895 in Guetaria, Spain. He studied dressmaking as a child and by age 20, had his own firm and became Spain's leading couturier. In 1937 he moved to Paris due to the Spanish Civil War. Balenciaga's designs popularized capes, flowing clothes without waistlines as well as the use of plastic for rainwear. He died in 1972.

Profile

(born Jan. 21, 1895, Guetaria, Spain—died March 23, 1972, Valencia) Spanish-French fashion designer. He studied dressmaking as a child and was inspired to become a couturier by a visit to Paris. By age 20 he had his own firm in San Sebastián. Over the next 15 years Balenciaga became the leading couturier of Spain. In 1937, when the Spanish Civil War disrupted his business, he moved to Paris. For the next 30 years his collections featured sumptuously elegant dresses and suits. Balenciaga helped popularize the trend toward capes and flowing clothes without waistlines in the late 1950s as well as the use of plastic for rainwear in the mid 1960s. He retired in 1968.

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