Brand History
In 1917, Cristobal Balenciaga founded the Balenciaga fashion house in Spain. The fashion designer, known for his “uncompromising standards”, at the height of his career was even known as the creator of the “New Look” by Christian Dior as “the one for all of us”. the master of ours all. Since its inception, Balenciaga has been leading important trends in the fashion world. In 1937, Mr Balenciaga opened a fashion house in Paris, and his first big show was an amazing success, he was praised by the media as a “fashion innovator”. In the 1950s and 1960s, Balenciaga's innovations in technology and materials inspired the creation of new silhouettes of womenswear, which is recognized as his crowning achievement in the fashion industry. To this day, his sculptural creations are still regarded as masters of haute couture. In 1968, Cristobal Balenciaga closed the fashion house. In 1972, he died in his hometown in the Basque Country of Spain. The fashion house remained dormant until the late 1990s.
In 2001, Kering reopened the door to fashion, re-establishing Balenciaga as one of the most influential brands in the fashion industry. In October 2015, Demna Gvasalia was appointed artistic director of the brand. Under the leadership of Gvasalia, Balenciaga has continued its historical glory. From clothing, and accessories, to experience, continuous innovation seems to be a spiritual call to fashion pioneers. Gvasalia's work in Balenciaga has won him the International Ready-to-Wear Designer of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards in 2016 and the Best Accessories Designer award in 2018 (Cabigiosu, 2020). In 2017, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) named him the best international designer (Lunia, 2020).
Brand Development in China
Compared to its peers, Balenciaga's entry into China is relatively recent -- less than 15 years ago. But the brand has been highly sought after by consumers since it entered the Chinese market. Many stars like Balenciaga's clothing, which has formed a certain celebrity effect. At the same time, the brand is constantly trying to localize itself, capturing the hearts and minds of consumers by launching China-only items and launching marketing campaigns during Chinese festivals. By 2022, Balenciaga has opened 38 boutiques in China. At the same time, Balenciaga also pays attention to the establishment of online marketing and sales channels. This internationally renowned brand has official accounts on China's major social media Weibo, WeChat, Tiktok, and official stores on two e-commerce platforms, Tmall and JD (Kim & Ko, 2012).