The Balenciaga Success Story: How It Became One Of The Biggest Names In Fashion

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Cristóbal Balenciaga opened the house of Balenciaga in Spain in 1919 and shifted base to Paris during the Spanish Civil War, which caused all stores to shut down. The Spanish Renaissance-inspired outfits were a great success during the fashion house’s first fashion show in 1937. The revolutionary outfits became sought-after pieces, and customers often traveled to Paris despite the raging second World War to buy a Balenciaga outfit. After the end of the war, Balenciaga began designing fluid structures that accentuated women’s hourglass shapes and used a combination of bold materials with heavy fabrics. The fashion house has shifted its base to Kering and continued introducing stunning haute-couture pieces that grab the media’s attention.

Cristóbal Balenciaga, who once designed costumes for bullfighters, morphed his business into a fashion empire that has continued to inspire even with the change in creative leadership. From showcasing a combination of Spanish and French-inspired designs to becoming a favorite celebrity brand, let’s look at Balenciaga’s success story and some of their most expensive products ever sold.

The Beginning Of Success

When Balenciaga first opened its doors to the public in Spain, it wasn’t until they shifted to Paris that Cristóbal Balenciaga found inspiration to combine the elements of Spanish culture with red and black lace to create masterpieces. According to High Snobiety, the first fashion show in the 1940s led to instant success for the brand, with many European aristocrats collaborating with the fashion mogul. The fashion house's success continued for the next decade, but many brands were introducing new designs, which led to Balenciaga’s most iconic silhouette. In the 1950s, Dior dominated women’s fashion by introducing corset-designed dresses showcasing women’s hourglass figures.

Balenciaga switched tactics and focused on creating outfits that ignored waistlines. The balloon mini-dress, cocoon coat, flat necklines, and collarless blouses were introduced, which were instant favorites. While there was an increase in the popularity of Ready-To-Wear outfits, Balenciaga stuck to its Haute Couture concept and saw its founder retire in the 1960s. After Nicholas Ghesquière took over in the 1990s under the Kering Group, he reinvigorated the fashion house with fresh 90s looks from cigarette pants to asymmetrical dresses.

Products That Sell Themselves

In 2015, Demna Gvasalia was announced as the new Creative Director of Balenciaga, who combined luxury with minimalism and made the fashion house into a successful luxury streetwear brand. With the launch of Triple S sneakers and Speed Sock, it became the most successful brand under Kering, outperforming Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and Yves Saint Laurent. Balenciaga’s products were also beginning to gain notoriety for their unique concepts of everyday products and their prices. In the Fall 2018 collection, Balenciaga introduced a seven-layer jacket worth $9,000, as noted by Harper’s Bazaar. Gvasalia created the jacket with a combination of fleeces, jersey hoodies, and plaid shirts.

The fashion house has a long-standing history of introducing unique fashion concepts to people. They introduced Crocs Heels, Defender Sneakers with an exaggerated sole, a $1,150 toolbox, a windbreaker keychain worth $350, Track 2.0 sneakers made from 15 pieces of sculptures valued at $5,750, a Denim/Sweatpant Hybrid for $2,000, a $650 hooded travel pillow, and even a sipping coffee cup for $88. As mentioned by the NY Post, Balenciaga made headlines in August 2022 with the launch of the Trash Pouch retailing at $1,790. The pouch looks similar to a garbage bag but is made from calfskin.

Engaging Marketing Collaborations

The house of Gucci was often referred to as a celebrity favorite brand, but Balenciaga has dethroned the fashion house over the last three years and taken over the top spot. It has become a crowd favorite brand through its successful partnerships and returned to Haute Couture in 2018. The fashion house embraced the digital age with a collaboration with the popular video game Fortnite. It allowed users to make their online personas wear and use Balenciaga outfits to grow the fashion interest of the youth.

For Paris’ Spring-Summer 2022 Collection, the brand released an episode of The Simpsons where the main characters of the animated show were seen wearing the outfits for the collection. It became the most popular brand in the first quarter of 2022 after a successful Fall/Winter 2022 drop, as stated by HypeBeast. The fashion house has also tapped Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber, two of the most famous celebrities globally, as its brand ambassadors. TikTok has also helped boost sales through its trends, as Balenciaga outfits are famous for discussions.

With celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Beyonce, and Rosalía tapping Balenciaga as the only fashion choice, the brand has continued to deliver outfits that have become the talk of the town. Balenciaga takes creativity one step further each time, with each collection dropped during fashion season.

Sources: High Snobiety, Harper’s Bazaar, NY Post, HypeBeast