The New BalenciagaThe Maison Balenciaga remained dormant until 1986, when it was acquired by Jacques Board S.A. Mixed reviews met the first attempts to bring back the iconic brand. In 1992, Dutch designer
Josephus Thimister was brought to the company to help restore Balenciaga high fashion status. While Thimister designs didn't meet the success of the Spanish designer, they did pave the way for the next designer who would join Balenciaga fashion house:
Nicolas Ghesquière. Ghesquière did first enter Maison Balenciaga as a license designer before he was finally promoted as head designer in 1997. Similar to Cristobal Balenciaga, Ghesquière collections also send a clear message, focusing on strong women. It was no surprise when Vogue editor,
Anna Wintour, noticed his designs and embraced the brand's revival. In 2001,
Kering acquired Balenciaga fashion house, introducing for the first time men collections. Nowadays, Balenciaga provides international shipping to a vast range of customers from all around the globe.
When the Spanish designer chose powerful muses, such as the
Queen of Belgium Fabiola de Mora y Aragon or Orphée from
Jean Cocteau, Ghesquière and his team also select equally strong muses, including
Kate Moss, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and
Chloe Sevigny. As the new designer takes inspiration from early Balenciaga collections, the focus is on overdecorated pieces and futuristic, abstract designs.
In 2013,
Alexander Wang, then new designer for Balenciaga, created a new dimension, bringing a youthful and stylishly wearable edge to the designs.
Finally, the last designer to enter la Maison Balenciaga is
Demna Gvasalia, who brings it to a new level, helping Balenciaga to remain faithful to its origins while staying relevant to new fashion trends and aspirations.