Wednesday Name Brand Pronunciation: Balenciaga

Balenciaga
Pronunciation: Bal-en-see-AH-gah
The ultimate bag for carting around everything a Bridezilla needs.
Cocktail chatter Cliff’s Notes:
In 1914, Cristobal Balenciaga started out by making clothes for the Spanish royal family. In the years following, his unique vision revolutionized the female silhouette, challenging Christian Dior’s New Look with his sleek, fluid designs, as well as winning him fans ranging from 1950s society queen and fashion icon Pauline de Rothschild to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who spent so much on Balenciaga’s haute couture creations that her father-in-law Joseph Kennedy chose to bankroll her couture bills himself rather than have them reflect poorly on the White House. After an early seventies downswing prompted by Cristobal’s exit from the company, Balenciaga picked itself back up in 1997 by bringing on design prodigy Nicholas Ghesquiere as creative director, who re-energized the brand through his fabulous grasp of the woman’s silhouette, echoing the early genius of Cristobal himself.
We like Balenciaga for their sky-high heels and celeb-beloved oversized bags like the one pictured here: the Giant City in bridal white and gold. We can only hope we’ll be able to save up enough for a Balenciaga wedding dress like the one Nicole Kidman wore when she wed Keith Urban – a Bridezilla can dream, right?