Cristóbal Balenciaga, an audacious designer.
For the House of Balenciaga, it all began in Spain in 1917. That was when Cristóbal Balenciaga founded his eponymous brand. He opened his first boutique in Paris twenty years later, on the exclusive Avenue George V. The Balenciaga style, which is pared down and chic, is instantly recognisable. The designer was an expert in redefining cuts and coming up with new shapes. The story of the fashion house is marked by babydoll dresses, suits and the "barrel" line. Alongside clothing, bags and shoes also met with resounding success.
Shoes, a woman's trump card in the charm stakes.
At the beginning of the noughties, Nicolas Ghesquière took over as the head of creative design at Balenciaga and injected a breath of modernity and futurism into the collections. He went on to launch lines of leather goods, men’s ready-to-wear and shoes. That last category very quickly took on a strong sense of identity, with curved heels and sculptural lines, one example of which is the Slash range. It was available in high or low pointed-toe boot versions and also pumps.
Designs ahead of their time.
Since the story of Balenciaga began, the line of women's footwear Slash has made a big impression on hearts and minds, but so have many others. The brand also helped sneakers take up residence in the world of luxury fashion.
Of all the luxury footwear on offer, heels, sandals, trainers and boots by Balenciaga have proved very successful, their appeal explained in part by the alliance of comfort and style. The following designs are definitely worth bearing in mind: