Along with Christian Dior, January 2025 also marks the anniversary of the birth of Cristóbal Balenciaga. Known as “The Master of Us All”, and ‘The King’, the Spanish designer was born on 21 January 1895 and became an iconic designer with some rather unusual royal links.

The Spanish designer quickly became known for his eye for fabrics and for silhouettes. Throughout his career, he was celebrated for his ability to master draping and create almost-architectural pieces. Balenciaga’s designs mixed traditional Spanish styles with the avant-garde, requiring a high level of craftsmanship. 

Balenciaga opened his first boutique in 1919 and quickly expanded to have stores in Madrid and Barcelona. The Spanish royal family wore his designs, like many in high society, though he was forced to close his ateliers in the country during the Spanish Civil War and he headed to Paris.

Fabiola de Mora y Aragón wore a Balenciaga wedding gown for her 1960 wedding to King Badouin of Belgium, a gown that was one of the most popular gowns of the decade. Fabiola’s great grandmother had been an early patron of Balenciaga and had helped him move into higher society circles. One of the reasons he designed this famous dress was to repay the kindness shown to him in his early years when a fashion career sometimes seemed out of his reach.

Balenciaga’s death in 1972 has seen a shift in the house’s designs; however, Cristóbal’s work remains as relevant as ever. 

In November 2024, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain were seen in new portraits shot by Annie Leibovitz and commissioned by the Bank of Spain as permanent records of the reign. In her portrait, Queen Letizia is wearing a vintage black tulle Balenciaga gown and red satin cape, also from the designer. 

It was seen as an appropriate nod to royalty from the Queen of Spain to a man known as ”The King”.