How Balenciaga went from sophisticated to scandalous

In a new Disney+ series about his life, Cristóbal Balenciaga claims he was the only person capable of running his brand Balenciaga.

And it seems as though that may be the case – as the fashion house has never fully bounced back from a series of damaging scandals in recent years.

In 2022, the Spanish brand sparked fury when it used controversial images of children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage gear in their Christmas campaign.

The adverts sparked shockwaves through the industry and prompted brand ambassador Kim Kardashian to distance herself from the fashion house.

As a result of this controversy, eagle-eyed critics started examining the rest of Balenciaga’s campaigns closely – and were horrified to find a printout of a Supreme Court ruling on whether or not internet child porn could be legally considered free speech in another.

Balenciaga never fully bounced back after its Christmas 2022 campaign, featuring images of children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage gear

 Spanish-born Cristóbal Balenciaga pictured in 1927. The designer set up the brand in 1917

Before this, Balenciaga had gained a reputation for its unconventional campaigns and shows, including runway presentations where models navigate through mud and endure blizzard-like conditions, while adorned in luxurious clothing. 

The Spanish brand, founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1917, has become synonymous with subversiveness, particularly since the appointment of creative director Demna Gvasalia in 2015, who famously said: ‘Who doesn’t love a fashion scandal?’

Here FEMAIL takes a look back at the rise and fall of the fashion house – as Disney+ releases a new drama inspired by the early days of Balenciaga. 

Early Days of Balenciaga 

Cristóbal Balenciaga, born in San Sebastian, Spain, achieved instant success when he launched the brand after moving to Paris in 1937. 

The designer was the son of a fisherman who took an interest in fashion after working as an apprentice for a tailor from the age of 12. 

In 1919, Cristóbal opened his first boutique in San Sebastián, Spain, later expanding with branches in Madrid and Barcelona.

Balenciaga’s designs quickly gained popularity among the Spanish royal family and aristocracy. But with the onset of the Spanish Civil War, he was forced to close his stores and subsequently relocated to Paris.

Wallis Simpson seen wearing a Balenciaga dress at her home with the Duke of Windsor in France in 1951

Cristobal Balenciaga designed a variety of colourful evening dresses during the 50s and 60s

Gloria Guinness wearing a black capsleeve dress and black velvet Balenciaga hat in her Waldorf Towers suite

In August 1937, Balenciaga opened his Paris couture house on Avenue George V, unveiling his first fashion show featuring designs heavily influenced by the Spanish Renaissance.

He achieved rapid success, and within two years, the press hailed him as a revolutionary force, with his creations becoming highly sought-after.

Fellow designer Coco Chanel and Carmel Snow, the editor of Harper’s Bazaar, emerged as early supporters of Balenciaga’s groundbreaking work.

Subsequently, his designs were worn by celebrities Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy and Wallis Simpson.

Balenciaga was one of only 60 businesses allowed to operate in Paris throughout World War II – and his influence during this period played a transformative role in the fashion industry.

Signature silhouettes, such as the sack dress, baby doll dress and cocoon coat revolutionised the way women dressed.

King Baudouin I and Dona Fabiola de Mora y Aragon posing at the Royal Palace of Brussels before their civil wedding on December 15, 1960

A model showcasing a suit designed by Cristobal Balenciaga for Fall 1965. In 1919, Cristóbal opened his first boutique in San Sebastián, Spain, later expanding with branches in Madrid and Barcelona

Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor seen wearing a Balenciaga Hindi sari to attend a black tie event in 1967

‘Balenciaga alone is a couturier in the truest sense of the word. Only he is capable of cutting material, assembling a creation and sewing it by hand, the others are simply fashion designers,’ declared Coco Chanel. 

The wife of former MP Thomas ‘Loel’ Guinness was a central figure of the postwar social scene and a keen Balenciaga client. She was also a Harper’s Bazaar contributing editor in the 60s and a regular on international best-dressed lists.

Gloria liked Balenciaga’s simple necklines, and the fact that, by pulling his jacket collars back an inch from the neck, he was ‘allowing women and their pearls to breathe’. 

But when sales began to decline with the rise of ready-to-wear clothing, Balenciaga was forced to close his fashion house and retire in 1968.

He passed away four years later, and the house of Balenciaga remained dormant until 1997, when the company was sold to Kering, who appointed Nicolas Ghesquiere as creative director.

Balenciaga’s feuding directors 

Zendaya, left, and designer Nicolas Ghesquiere pose for photographers prior to the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2023-2024 show in March 2023

Kering appointed Nicolas Ghesquiere as creative director of Balenciaga in 1997. Pictured a 2002 fashion show

Ghesquiere, who is currently creative director at Louis Vuitton, revitalised the brand, drawing in celebrity clientele, including Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Despite achieving success in dressing Kylie Minogue for her Showgirl tour and designing Nicole Kidman’s wedding dress in 2006, the company made a surprising announcement of parting ways with Ghesquiere after 15 years – naming Alexander Wang as his successor.

In an interview with System, Ghesquiere accused Balenciaga of ‘lacking in direction’ and claimed he was ‘sucked dry, like they wanted to steal my identity while trying to homogenise things’.  

Kering subsequently filed a lawsuit against Ghesquiere for breach of contract, seeking damages amounting to €7 million (£6m). The legal dispute was eventually resolved out of court.

Demna Gvasalia attends the CFDA Fashion Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York in 2017

Pop star Justin Bieber became a brand ambassador for Balenciaga in 2021. Pictured attending a fashion show

Kim Kardashian was a huge fan of the Balenciaga Pantaleggings (pictured in 2022) before distancing herself from the fashion house

Demna Gvasalia (simply known as Demna) replaced Alexander Wang in 2015. 

The new creative director secured a number of brand ambassadors, including Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian, thanks to his distinctive approach to streetwear.

Demna was behind Kim’s famed 2021 Met Gala look, which saw her wearing all-black head-to-toe, including a balaclava, as she arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Shocking adverts 

In January, the fashion house released a number of images as part of it’s campaign celebrating the Year of the Tiger, which included a child sitting on the lap of a male model  

In January 2022, the fashion house released a number of images as part of it’s campaign celebrating the Year of the Tiger.

The 57 piece collection is modelled by children and adults in a homely setting, interacting with each other as though they are family.

However the models are position in unusual poses for the images, which were taken by Chris Maggio.

In one, a child can be seen sitting on the lap of a male model, while in another, a child lies down with their head on the male model’s shoulder.

And it’s not just Balacengia which has faced controversy over it’s adverts.

The label is owned by Kering, which owns a number of other controverisal labels, including Gucci.

And in another one of the company’s campaigns from this year, a number of child models can be seen posing in recreations of classic horror scenes.

If you treasured this article therefore you would like to get more info concerning adult xxx movies free kindly visit the website. From The Shining’s terrifying twin girls to Clockwork Orange and even the masked party from Eyes Wide Shut, Gucci spared no expense in bringing the scenes to life as only Gucci can.

Unconventional Runways 

The label’s spring runway left many fashion fans shocked, after the collaboration with Adidas saw the brand dressing models in gimp masks before walking them down the runway in Paris

The label’s spring 2022 runway left many fashion fans shocked, after the collaboration with Adidas saw the brand dressing models in gimp masks before walking them down the runway in Paris. 

Attendees wore colourful red, blue and yellow latex masks across their face while wearing the label’s clothing.  

That summer, the label’s Paris Fashion Week show also raised eyebrows after rapper Kanye West joined other models to trudge through mud while sporting the fashion house’s latest designs.

Balenciaga is known for its quirky designs but people were left perplexed by the muddy runway, as models walked down as if they were on a grim powerwalk through a wet field.

The show opened in Paris, with it girl Doja Cat in attendance, model Bella Hadid also made an appearance, as a model wearing studded facial prosthetics.

The show featured interesting designs including corsets for men and long black dresses with matching gloves.

In Summer 2022, the label’s Paris Fashion Week show raised eyebrows after rapper Kanye West joined other models to trudge through mud while sporting the fashion house’s latest designs.

Kayne opened the runway, almost disguised in an all black security style suit, his beard long and bedraggled looking.

The strange show was built around a wet, mud catwalk, which saw models walking through a muddy pit, covering the new designs in splatters – 

Social media users were baffled by the showcase, with some saying it was like a ‘social experiment gone wrong’.

One tweeted: ‘Imagine being a part of the Balenciaga ss23 and realising you have to walk in mud.’

One joked: ‘Balenciaga having a mud fashion show, I know it smells crazy in there.’

Another wrote: ‘The photos from the Balenciaga mud show are awful!’

Bizarre Fetish Masks

Keeping it simple: Kim Kardashian completely covered up her face in an all-black head-to-toe Balenciaga ensemble including balaclava as she arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City last year 

Ha! Kim likely left the Balenciaga dinner feeling hungry after being unable to eat due to a hard-shell mask covering her mouth

In September 2021, Kim Kardashian surprised many as she went for a completely minimalist look for the Met Gala. 

The 40-year-old mogul completely covered up her face in an all-black head-to-toe Balenciaga ensemble including balaclava as she arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City

The ensemble designed by creative director Demna Gvasalia for the Paris-based high-fashion label featured several matching dark pieces including a T-Shirt dress over a curve T-Shirt with a bodysuit.

The black look had several intricate pieces despite the simplicity of its look as it also included jersey boots Pantaleggings.

The accessories were kept uniform as she also sported long gloves and a full-faced mask which kept her make-up under wraps.

Her brunette tresses poked out of the balaclava in the form of a ponytail featuring extensions which hung down to below her derriere.

And while she may have been mocked on social media for the look, she has since gone on to wear the full face mask on a number of different occasions. 

Shortly before the MET, she stepped out in a very daring leather Balenciaga look which included a zentai face covering, before checking into the Ritz Carlton.

The bodysuit was layered underneath a leather trench coat and she sported thigh high black boots and gloves while carrying a sparkly Balenciaga bag.

Her face was completely shielded by the leather face mask which had a zipper up the front and two where the eyes would be, with only her long ponytail sticking out of the back. She wore a full face mask for a third time in July. 

The reality personality, 43, who walked for the fashion house earlier in spring 2022, joined the likes of Bella Hadid and Nicole Kidman at the star-studded dinner.

‘Offensive products’

Earlier this year, Balenciaga launched a new range of £450 trainers that are full of holes, with fans mocking the range

Meanwhile the BDSM style teddy bear bag isn’t the first controversial product from the brand which shoppers have deemed offensive. 

However, the praise was short-lived, as in in 2022, Balenciaga came under fire for selling £1,470 ‘trash pouches’ that resembled plastic bin bags.

When asked about the controversial product, Demna told WWD: ‘I couldn’t miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn’t love a fashion scandal?’

A number of people were baffled by the Trash Pouch and disappointed fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts.

One user said: ‘Luxury fashion’ is legal theft. High fashion is a joke at this point. Balenciaga made a ‘trash bag’ pouch for $1,790. And on top of shit like that, a lot of you fashion n***as just simply can’t dress.’

Many individuals noted that Balenciaga’s $2,090 ‘Barbes East-West Shopper Bag’ resembles a bag design that originated in West Africa, informally referred to as ‘Ghana Must Go’ bags.

The bag earned the nickname during the 1980s, after ‘hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, most of them Ghanaians’ were forced to quickly stuff their belongings into them after being given short notice to flee Nigeria, the BBC reported.

Last year, a pair of $1,190 sweatpants caused quite a stir, after multiple critics accused the design as a form of cultural appropriation.

The ‘Tropme-L’oeil’ grey sweatpants feature an exposed boxer short built-in above the waistband – a style made famous in hip hop culture during the 90s.

Critics caught wind of the controversy after TikTok user @mr200m__, whose real name is Josiah Hyacinth, posted a video mocking design at a Selfridges on September 2.

Many individuals also noted that Balenciaga’s $2,090 ‘ Barbes East-West Shopper Bag’ resembles a bag design that originated in West Africa, informally referred to as ‘Ghana Must Go’ bags

‘This feels racist. This feels very racist, guys’ Hyacinth said, while inspecting the pants. ‘They have woven these boxers inside the trousers.’

The video is captioned, ‘You know when something feels racist @sxbwxyy I have questions,’ and has garnered over 1.6 million views.

In an email statement to CNN, Marquita Gammage, an associate professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Northridge, said she was disturbed by the Balenciaga item and what she witnesses as ‘Black culture with the hopes of securing major profits,’

Gammage, who is the author of ‘Cultural Appropriation as ‘Agency Reduction” notes that the style has often ‘been used to criminalize Blacks, especially Black males as thugs and a threat to American society.’

‘Balenciaga men’s Trompe-L’Oeil sweatpants in red triggers immediate concern given the grotesque similarity to the iconic African American hip hop aesthetic worn by Black Americans for decades that has resulted in the imprisonment and death of Black men,’ Gammage added in the email to CNN. 

‘The trousers have commercial cultural appropriation written all over them; branded with the name Balenciaga.’

The ‘ Tropme-L’oeil’ grey sweatpants feature an exposed boxer short built-in above the waistband – a style made famous in hip hop culture during the 90s.

Kim Kardashian attends the 2021 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

In an additional email to CNN, Ludivine Pont, chief marketing officer for Balenciaga, said ‘in many of our collections, we combine different wardrobe pieces into a single garment, such as denim jeans layered over tracksuit pants, cargo shorts merged with jeans and button-up shirts layered over t-shirts.’ 

‘These Trompe L’Oeil trousers were an extension of that vision,’ she added.

Individuals immediately responded to the design online, slamming the fashion brand script chat xxx (tantriccollectivelondon.com) for gentrifying yet another aspect of black culture.

‘Black men being discriminated against and devalued for sagging pants and Balenciaga is profiting off the style. Crazy how it’s ghetto until they put a price on it,’ user @HighestPriestess criticized the design on Twitter.  

The fashion house, popular with A-listers like Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber, in May released a new range of £1,290 ‘fully destroyed’ footwear, covered in holes and scuff marks.

Fans were quick to mock the brand after the shoes went viral when they launched.

The shoes were a limited edition version of the brand’s Paris high top trainers, which usually cost £450.