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.
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 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.
CONTROVERSIAL HEAD STYLIST
Balenciaga’s main stylist, Lotta Volkova is no stranger to shocking the fashion world with her unusual choices (left)
Among the jaw-dropping designs from Lotta is the £500 Gaultier ‘naked’ illusion printed dress for a jaw-dropping changing room snap
Balenciaga’s main stylist, Lotta Volkova is no stranger to shocking the fashion world with her unusual choices.
She was born in Russia, raised by a naval captain father before leaving to study art and design at London’s Central Saint Martins aged 17.
She relocated to Paris in 2007 and shifted her focus to styling, before she began working with designer Demna Gvasalia.
She has since become an essential part of the creative vision behind Vetements and Balenciaga.
Earlier this year, she shocked many by designing a naked dress for Jean Paul Gaultier which made the dresser appear totally nude.
While the printed maxi dress completely covers the wearer, at first glance they appear naked as the dress is printed with a realistic looking crotch, bottom and breasts.
The ‘trompe l’oeil’ number was launched a a capsule collection of pieces from the Jean Paul Gaultier archive. Also in the eccentric collection is a reimagined cone bra, first made famous by Madonna’s Blond Ambition tour in 1990.
Gaultier used trompe l’oeil – technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimension – in provocative collections throughout the nineties, often superimposing a naked body onto a dressed body.
‘It was an incredible honour to be able to discover the archives, obsess and fetishize – reimagine the iconic Jean Paul Gaultier collections in the context of 2022 reintroducing them into a contemporary wardrobe,’ Lotta said on Instagram.
Speaking to Vogue about the collection, Lotta said: What really struck me was this extreme eccentricity, the uncompromising vision, and celebration of and passion for culture, art, and music. It’s this awareness that forms the incredible, extravagant, and extraordinary world of Jean Paul Gaultier.’
‘A friend of mine wants to wear the nude dress with a fur coat to dinner and then take off the coat,’ she added.
She added her purpose was to ‘reframe the mischief and awesomeness’ of Gaultier’s collection for a ‘contemporary audience’.
She was also responsible for styling the viral Miu Miu campaign which was the tiny micro mini skirt be seen everywhere.
The fully destroyed versions come in black, white or brown and are littered with holes across the cotton sides, top and back.
The fashion giant’s brand name is daubed on the side of the soles to look like marker pen graffiti.
And ironically, Balenciaga says if they get dirty just ‘wipe with a soft cloth.’
Shoppers were quick to poke fun at the scruffy sneakers. One said: ‘I was having a good day until I saw this. Shaking my head.’
Another quipped: ‘I was just about to throw out my 12-year-old Vans. But I guess they are high fashion.’
Another joked: ‘Need these for my collection. Or I just won’t pay rent and in a month or so my shoes should look the same.’
One mum said: ‘Are they having a laugh?’
Another said: ‘Pre-f****d up shoes, what a world.’
Bondage-themed advert
The following scandal erupted when Balenciaga released its 2022 Holiday ad campaign that featured children posing with its Plush Toy Bag. The bags, which looked like teddy bears, were dressed in bondage gear.
In the photo shoot, the children also appeared surrounded by empty wine and champagne glasses.
The distinctly adult themes immediately troubled many who asked why children had ever been used.
Balenciaga ignored the scandal at first and seemingly allowed the photographer, Gabriele Galimberti, to take the heat.
He released a statement saying he had no control over the content of the shoot and eventually, Balenciaga released its own statement agreeing and taking responsibility for the campaign.
After the BDSM bears fiasco, eagle-eyed critics started examining the rest of Balenciaga’s campaigns closely.
They soon discovered that in the background of an image from the Spring 2023 campaign was a printout of a Supreme Court ruling on whether or not internet child porn can be legally considered free speech.
On the back of the bears scandal, many critics said it pointed to a troubling pattern within Balenciaga.
Balenciaga was quick to blame North Six, a production company that helped arrange the shoot, for the inclusion of those documents.
They claimed that they entrusted all of the props from the photoshoot to North Six, and that their team was assured everything that was included was fake.
‘I was shocked when I heard about their presence… it was a set of negligent and unfortunate but not intentional coincidences,’ Demna told Vogue.
The Trash Pouch debuted as part of the opening look from Balenciaga’s Fall 2022 show during Paris Fashion Week
Balenciaga unveiled a £695 ‘towel skirt’ as part of its Spring 2024 collection
As #cancelBalenciaga rapidly gained traction on Twitter and TikTok, numerous voices accused the brand and Demna of endorsing paedophilia and child exploitation.
The impact was considerable, and even Kim Kardashian publicly condemned the controversial advertisements, stating she was reevaluating her relationship with the brand, ‘basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with.’
In March 2023, Balenciaga showcased its first collection in Paris following the controversy, with Demna focusing on reinstating the house codes.
‘There will be nothing to see but clothes. I need to be the radical antidote – to not be in that conversation at all,’ he said prior to the show. ‘That’s what Cristóbal Balenciaga would do.’
However, the brand later released a £695 ‘towel skirt’ as part of its Spring 2024 collection, which sparked further criticism.
The knee-length garment, made from terry cotton, was mocked by countless shoppers, as well as Dame Kelly Holmes on an episode of Loose Women.
One individual on Twitter made reference to the backlash the brand received for its controversial 2022 holiday campaign, penning: ‘To dry themselves from washing away their sins?’
Nicole Kidman blasted by association
Pictured: Nicole Kidman seen arriving at the Balencaiag F/W 2023 fashion show in Paris after being announced as a brand ambassador
Nicole Kidman has been a fan of Balenciaga for decades – having chosen the fashion house to design her 2005 wedding dress.
However, the A-List actress was slammed last December when she was named the face of Balenciaga.
The news sparked backlash among the Eyes Wide Shut actress’s social media followers, many of whom have left comments expressing their disappointment.
‘Bad choice Nicole!!! Do better!!!’ one concerned fan wrote, after Nicole shared black-and-white images of herself attending the fashion show.
‘Disappointed you chose that brand,’ another added, while someone else added: ‘Nice campaign to make us all forget [eyeroll emoji].’
Another person wrote: ‘Nicole is always such a beauty, but DANG… money must be tight for all these movie stars and musicians too when they have to support that business.’
However there were plenty of positive comments praising Nicole’s glamorous photos.
‘Absolutely gorgeous,’ one wrote, while another user added: ‘Holy hell, these are brilliant!’
Nicole’s latest collaboration with Balenciaga comes a year after the company received immense criticism for releasing a set of images that showed children posing alongside a slew of BDSM-related items.
