Hourglass XS leather crossbody bag with crystals.

After opening his first boutiques in Spain, in 1937 Balenciaga moved to Paris due to the Spanish Civil War and inaugurated his maison on Avenue George V. From there, a period of unprecedented innovation began: the designer introduced bold volumes, pure lines, and almost sculptural constructions. Among his most famous creations are the tunic dress, the sack dress, the balloon skirt, the semi-fitted suit, and the baby doll silhouette. His aesthetic, essential yet powerful, redefined the concept of modern elegance.

In the 1950s and '60s, Balenciaga became the "master of masters", admired by designers such as Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. His clientele included aristocrats, stars, and political figures. However, in 1968, disappointed by the increasing commercialization of fashion, Cristóbal Balenciaga closed the maison, which remained inactive until the 1980s.

In 1986, the brand was relaunched and found a new identity in the following years. The turning point came with Nicolas Ghesquière (1997–2012), who modernized the Balenciaga aesthetic with a futuristic and experimental language. In 2015, Demna Gvasalia arrived as the current creative director, transforming the maison into a symbol of contemporary fashion: luxury streetwear, oversize volumes, irony, and stylistic deconstruction.

Today, Balenciaga is synonymous with avant-garde, experimentation, and the redefinition of sartorial codes, keeping the innovative legacy of its legendary founder alive.