Introduction
I begin this essay with a reflection on the beauty that is within us; the Beauty itself dwelling within us. The poem that St. Teresa of Jesus composed when she heard the words Búscate en mí, is a perfect portrait of this:
Alma, buscarte has en Mí,
y a Mí buscarme has en ti
De tal suerte pudo amor,
alma, en mí te retratar,
que ningún sabio pintor
supiera con tal primor
tal imagen estampar.
Fuiste por amor criada
hermosa, bella, y así
en mis entrañas pintada,
si te perdieres, mi amada,
Alma, buscarte has en Mí.[1]
God chose to create us in his image and likeness (Gn 1, 26-27). Therefore, wanting to seek after Him, we as children, we too decide to create in a beautiful way everything that comes out of our hands. The well-known designer Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972) creates fashion with great beauty while seeking to uphold the modesty of women and respecting their different cultural roots.
One of our commitments as Catholics is to associate our belief, in and our belonging to the Catholic Church. It is thus that we lead all people to Christ. We encourage this encounter with God in all seekers of love, truth and beauty[2].
Fashion design, often overlooked as a branch of the humanities, weaves itself subtly yet profoundly through literature, music, visual arts, and architecture; even shaping how we perceive identity, status, and cultural experience.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius declares; «The apparel oft proclaims the man[3]», suggesting that clothing constructs and shifts ones identity; just as Hamlet’s mourning garb conceals his inner turmoil. Similarly, in Cervantes’ Don Quixote, the titular character’s makeshift armor elevates his delusions of grandeur while mocking the rigid class structures of Renaissance Spain.
Clothing also permeates the visual arts, where it, or its absence, defines an artwork’s meaning. In Michelangelo’s David, a Renaissance sculpture, the absence of clothing, reminiscent of Greek statues like the Discobolus, exalts the organic form of the human body, celebrating idealized beauty. Conversely, in Velázquez’s Las Meninas, a Baroque masterpiece, the artist drapes the Spanish Habsburg court in opulent silks and rigid guarda infantes, reflecting their power and hierarchy. In the age of Dutch Imperialism, Vermeer’s Milkmaid portrays a humble servant in simple linens, her modest attire elevating the dignity of everyday life.
Music, too, engages with fashion, in the sense that clothing enhances the experience of performance can be a reflection of and context. Attending a Catholic Mass to hear Mozart’s Requiem calls for sober, modest attire, reflecting the solemnity of the sacred and the immobility of our baptized condition. In contrast, the vibrant opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, set in a romanticized Seville, demands attire that complements its passionate narrative, with Carmen’s fiery gypsy dresses, flowing skirts, mantones, and vivid colors symbolizing her defiance and sensuality. Yet, across these various contexts, modesty should remain a unifying thread; a testament to the enduring dignity of the human spirit.
Architecture also plays a pivotal role in fashion design, given spaces are crafted for specific purposes, each demanding distinct types of clothing. The experience granted by inhabiting architecture the way that one dresses in harmony with its walls, landscapes, and gardens shapes our interaction with the three-dimensional environment. Just as a Gothic cathedral calls for solemn attire to match its soaring arches, or a modernist pavilion invites sleek, minimalist garments, clothing becomes an extension of the architectural narrative. IN the same way as dressing the body, architecture adorns space, Balenciaga transformed fashion into a dialogue with the environments that embraces the fashionistas, thereby enhancing the dignity and beauty of the human experience.
Balenciaga’s genius lies in his ability to transcend fleeting trends, by using fashion to bridge the humanities and history. His work, like literature, art, and music draws from, manifests clothing as a language of identity, dignity, and resilience; transforming the human experience into an enduring expression of beauty.
CHAPTER 1
Foundations of Beauty and Modesty
Beauty and modesty have been two fundamental elements in fashion design, especially from a Christian perspective. Throughout history, clothing has reflected spiritual values, and modesty has played a key role in how people choose to present themselves before others and before God. A significant example of this relationship can be found in the Gospel of John, in the episode where Peter, realizing that Jesus is standing on the shore while he is fishing, reacts with a spontaneous display of reverence and humility. Though his impulse is to throw himself into the water to reach his Master as quickly as possible, before doing so, he dresses himself and girds his tunic, demonstrating an attitude of respect through his attire:
Dicit ergo discipulus ille, quem diligebat Iesus, Petro: «Dominus est! ». Simon ergo Petus, cum audisset quia Dominus est, tunicam succinxit se, erat enim nudus, et misit se in mare[4].
This gesture reflects how clothing is not merely a matter of functionality but also of meaning and expression. In fashion design, particularly in the work of Cristóbal Balenciaga, beauty and modesty are not opposing concepts but rather elements that complement each other to create a refined, elegant, and deeply symbolic aesthetic.
1.1 The search for transcendental beauty.
The beauty that transcends, elevating us toward a search for God, is the focus we aim to define and explore in the designs of Cristóbal Balenciaga. To establish a common language for this essay, we adopt St. Thomas Aquinas’s definition of beauty, rooted in his philosophical framework. Additionally, to understand fashion design as a means of living the Catholic faith and advancing evangelization, we draw upon the Via Pulchritudinis, by which Ihave been moved to write about this topic.
In the visual arts, beauty seeks to awaken the viewer’s imagination and warm their heart, conveying emotions that, once settled, speak to deeper truths, such as identity and one’s relationship with God. Here, it is crucial to distinguish between the beauty of an object and an object that merely appears ‘pretty,’ conforming to a certain canon but lacking alignment with its ideal essence and purpose.
Beauty, as a path to God that draws humanity toward the eternal and kindles a taste for transcendent realities, is defined by St. Thomas Aquinas through three criteria: Integritas, Proportio, and Claritas; «Ad pulchritudinem tria requiruntur: integritas, consonantia[5]». These principles guide our consideration of what constitutes the beautiful.
Integritas: Beauty arises when something is complete, free of flaws[6]. In fashion, this translates to harmonious designs that respect the dignity of the body. It is here that modesty finds its place, rooted in a refusal to seduce or lead others into sin through provocative or lustful designs, a theme we will revisit in Balenciaga’s work[7].
Proportio: Harmony among parts. This aligns with Balenciaga’s aesthetic, evident in his balanced, fluid silhouettes, voluminous yet never excessive or extravagant, striking a delicate equilibrium. The beautiful pleases the one who admires it « pulchrum est quod visum placet » [8], but he needs to perceive it proportionate and not strident.
Claritas: Beauty radiates truth and goodness, reflecting God[9]. A ‘beautiful’ garment does more than adorn; it unveils something transcendent, such as the beauty of creation and the human body. This lends profound meaning to modesty in dress, revealing the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit to the world.
Finally, beauty is the way of perfection, which means to be as God, Creator and Beauty itself, was planned for it reflecting God’s will through it. Through beauty, humanity has an encounter with God and turns its life to Him[10].
1.2 The virtue of Modesty
In the catechism of the Catholic Church we find the definition of modesty in the number 2522:
Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships; it requires that conditions for the definitive giving and commitment of man and woman to one another be fulfilled. Modesty is decency. It inspires one’s choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet[11].
Modesty is key virtue for keeping purity. Through modesty we give witness of our faith and also prevent sin.
Balenciaga was a master in this field since he designed no provocative dresses. That doesn’t mean that the designs are dull, sad or unsuccessful. His designs fit the human body with extreme delicacy and purity and are extremely successful.
In our days we find many fashion shows where the designs are extremely controversial or unseemly and do not respect women’s modesty. These designs that seem to be successful. Nevertheless their success is morbid and controversial. An example is the famous Irish designer, Simone Rocha, who has gained fame for the transparency of her dresses. The transparent fabrics let us see in a sinuous way certain parts of the body. This could suggest a certain lightness in modesty and in the search for chastity.
Being human created in the image and likeness of God, their body has a sacred aspect and deserves respect. Therefore, the intimacy of the body must be preserved as a homage to God[12].
1.3 Clothing the Divine Image
First, we must recognize the beauty of the human body in its nakedness, a beauty portrayed across the ages in diverse artistic traditions, from the ancient Venus of Willendorf and Greek sculptures to the masterpieces of the Renaissance and beyond. This aesthetic reverence reflects an innate appreciation for the body as a divine creation, unmarred in its original state. St. John Paul II, in his Theology of the Body, instructs us that this beauty expresses God’s love before shame entered through original sin; « The human body… seen in the mystery of creation, is not only a source of fruitfulness… but includes the “nuptial” attribute, that is, the capacity to express love »[13]. In Eden, ‘they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed’ (Gen. 2:25), their nakedness radiating a primal beauty rooted in innocence and divine intent.
Modesty, then, emerges as its protector in a fallen world. After the Fall of Adam and Eve, when ‘the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked’ (Gen. 3:7), shame and lust introduced tension between man and woman, distorting the body’s original harmony. The Catechism reinforces this shift, noting that ‘modesty protects the intimate center of the person’ (CCC, 2522), shielding the body from external misuse and preserving its dignity amid a fractured human condition. Thus, modesty does not deny the body’s beauty but safeguards it, ensuring that its transcendent splendor—once freely revealed—remains a testament to God’s creation, a principle Balenciaga echoes in his restrained yet radiant designs.
CHAPTER 2
The Artistry of Fashion Design
This chapter explores what fashion design entails and why it is often regarded as an art form, despite its name emphasizing design. To address this, we must first consider the use of fashion design through history and its meaning. Neither can we forget to examine the broader relationship between art and design. Those two elements are key to understand the designs of Balenciaga and the searching of beauty.
In Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables”, Monsignor Bienvenu reflects on the duality of beauty and practicality, telling Madame Magloire; « Lo bello vale tanto como lo útil. Y añadió después de una pausa: Tal vez más»[14], suggesting that beauty holds a purpose beyond mere utility.
2.1 The Historical Evolution of Fashion
Fashion design has evolved over centuries as a dynamic medium, intertwining beauty, identity, and utility to reflect societal values and historical contexts. From the draped togas of ancient Rome to the opulent courts of the Habsburg dynasty and the sculptural couture of Cristóbal Balenciaga, clothing has served as both art and social signifier, balancing aesthetic allure with practical purpose.
In ancient Rome (c. 753 BCE–476 CE), the toga exemplified this duality. A voluminous garment, its color and style denoted rank, purple for emperors, white for citizens, embodying the Roman ideals of gravitas and dignitas. Like Greek sculptures such as the Discobolus (c. 450 BCE), the toga’s sculptural folds prioritized aesthetic harmony, draping the body in a manner that celebrated form while serving public functions. This early interplay of beauty and utility established fashion as a cultural language.
During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the Habsburg dynasty, ruling Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, (c. 1516–1700) elevated fashion to a symbol of imperial authority. Under Charles V (r. 1516–1556), court attire featured lavish gold and silver embroidery, showcasing wealth from the Americas. These textiles, with their intricate patterns, reached unprecedented levels of sinuosity, rivaling the grandeur of palatial architecture. In the second half of the 16th century, under Philip II (r. 1556–1598), an austere and discreet monarch, clothing trended toward sober forms, black velvets and structured silhouettes, yet retained a taste for magnificence.16
Este vestuario (el de la familia real de los Habsburgo) concedía gran importancia a lo textil y a los adornos, esta sinuosidad llega a límites insospechados durante el reinado de Carlos I. En la segunda mitad del siglo, con Felipe II, rey austero y discreto, la indumentaria tiende hacia formas más sobrias pero aún así el gusto por la magnificencia no desaparece.[15]
This restrained elegance, rooted in Spanish Catholic tradition, influenced religious vestments, notably the Virgen de la Paloma in Madrid, the first Marian image dressed in ornate Habsburg-style garments in the late 16th century, blending devotion with regal splendor.
The evolution of fashion design also highlights a tension between beauty and practicality, shaping the distinction between art and design. The Roman toga, though symbolically potent, was cumbersome, prioritizing aesthetics over ease. Habsburg attire, while ornate, was structured for courtly life, balancing decoration with function.
Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972) synthesized these historical threads, redefining fashion as an art form that harmonizes beauty and function. Inspired by the Habsburgs’ austere grandeur, as seen in Las Meninas, Balenciaga crafted sculptural gowns and cocoon coats that echoed Philip II’s structured elegance while embracing organic forms reminiscent of the toga’s fluid drapery. His designs, such as mantillas and capes drawn from Spanish tradition, dignified the wearer, evoking historical stability amidst 20th-century turmoil, as noted in the resilience of his work during global upheavals.
Balenciaga’s legacy underscores fashion’s evolution as a medium that transcends utility to become art; he transformed clothing into a timeless expression of identity, beauty, and resilience, proving that fashion design endures as both craft and cultural narrative.
2.2 Bridging Art and Design
We can define art as an expression of feelings or thought, making in other the experience to feel something. Therefore, it is considered subjective because of the personal interpretation, or different reactions or feelings that everyone can have. But there are some objective elements in arts, like color, technique, materials…
Within art we have some ways to classify it. I will use the traditional one:
- Visual Arts: This comes from the classical division of the fine arts: painting, sculpture and drawing. It is important because of the colors, shapes, textures…Every artist is going to use visual arts knowledge.
- Performing Arts: Rooted in the distinction between static and temporal art forms. Mainly theater and dance as recognized disciplines.
- Applied Arts: Emerges from the Arts and Crafts movement (19th century) and the idea of “useful art,” contrasting with “fine art” for purely aesthetic purposes. This is widely taught in art schools. Here fits the jewelry, ceramic works, textiles, furniture…
- Digital/Contemporary Art: Reflects 20th- and 21st-century developments. I set in this subdivision cinema, photography.
We understand for design not only how things look, but how do they work, the practical purpose of the creation. For that design is more objective and has a clear objective. Design is organized more by its function and practical application. There are three main divisions for design:
- Graphic Design: basically, is used to communicate messages, ideas…etc, by a visual content, visual communication, typography…
- Industrial Design: that one is the most practical and functional. Industrial design is the practice of creating manufacturing functional objects, furniture, vehicles, accesories… so many things that we use.
- Fashion Design: it is the creative process for making clothes. This branch, which is our study area, has some subdivisions, for example; haute couture, prêt-à-porter, streetwear.
Back at home, my mom had a nice map of my hometown, Avila. It was made to have the location of the places well done and to find the important churches and government places. It was made in a good medium, ink and good paper. In it is the shield of the city and the name in a baroque style ribbon. That ink work was a beautiful artwork and a beautiful design.
Like Ávila’s map, which blended utility with baroque flair, Balenciaga’s designs fuse practicality with artistic grandeur.
As art historian Barbara Bloemink, says that design and art are, at the same time, different and the same, which opens the door to having works in between.[16] Definitely, there are not designers who want to do something which is only functional. They want to do something attractive, something desirable. Therefore, is unite art and design.
In other hand, separation between fine art and design is a recent conceit. It comes out with the idea of art is not functional, which through the history had been different functions as religious, political or social propaganda, or as a decoration…
Having defined art and design, let’s explore how they diverge and converge in practice, setting the stage for fashion design.
2.3 Balenciaga’s Artistic Legacy in Fashion
After that explanation of arts and design, we see our topic in the box of design but also fits in visual arts because is related with them for the influence of paintings in the way of design clothes. Dali’s surrealism, for example, had a big influence on Elsa Schiaparelli’s designs. In both cases, art and fashion are ways to show feeling, an identity or even a narrative. Talking about history
I define fashion design as the art of expressing personalities, feelings, religious and cultural identities, achieving one of the most practical and everyday things that is our clothing. Fashion, like all human creation, can be an echo of the Creator. If art expresses the soul and design serves the body, fashion design unites both in an act of implicit praise.
This fusion of art and utility finds its pinnacle in designers like Cristóbal Balenciaga, whose work we’ll explore next.
CHAPTER 3
Balenciaga in Time and Tradition
Among the pantheon of fashion designers, I have chosen Cristóbal Balenciaga for this study, not merely for his renown, but for the way his life and work resonate with the themes of modesty and beauty explored herein. Known today through the enduring Balenciaga brand, his designs adorn monarchs[17] celebrities, and dignitaries, a testament to his lasting influence.
Yet beyond his artistry lies a deeper narrative: a man whose devoted life aligned his craft with values rooted in his Catholic faith. Though details of his personal life remain scarce, his childhood, upbringing, and the religious milieu of his formative years offer a window into the soul of his creations.
3.1 National Turmoil and Design
To understand the forces that shaped Cristóbal Balenciaga’s life and his distinctive vision of modesty and beauty, we must situate him within the complex historical and personal context of his time. Born on January 21, 1895, in Getaria, a Basque fishing village in northern Spain, Balenciaga’s early years unfolded during a period of political instability and cultural ferment that left an indelible mark on his identity and craft. Spain’s late 19th and early 20th centuries were defined by a shifting political landscape, a resilient Basque heritage, and pivotal events like the Disaster of ’98 and the Civil War, all of which framed the world he sought to dress with dignity and grace.
At the time of Balenciaga’s birth, Spain was governed by the Restoration Monarchy, a fragile system established in 1874 under King Alfonso XII to stabilize the country after decades of upheaval. This regime, marked by a conservative oligarchy and a rotational system of power between Liberals and Conservatives, the “turno pacífico”, struggled to address growing social unrest and regional tensions. For the Basque Country, where Getaria lay, this centralizing government clashed with a fierce sense of local identity, rooted in language, Euskara, tradition, and a deep Catholic faith. The Basque people, including Balenciaga’s family, lived with a dual allegiance: to their regional heritage and to a Spain grappling with its fading imperial stature. We make an idea how faithful are the Basque people during the Spanish Civil War, the Nationalist were wining land and they were terrified because of their traditions and customs: «The Basque provinces, fiercely loyal to their traditions, suffered profoundly under the Nationalist advance» . This political tension fostered a resilience that Balenciaga would later channel into his designs, reflecting a modesty born of necessity and a beauty that honored his roots.
The Disaster of ’98, which is the loss of Spain’s last colonies (Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines) to the United States in 1898, cast a long shadow over Balenciaga’s childhood. This loss plunged Spain into economic decline and sparked a crisis of identity, with intellectuals and artists seeking to redefine Spanishness amid the ruins of empire.
¡Qué importa un día! Está el ayer alerto
al mañana, malana al infinito,
hombre de España: ni el pasado ha muerto,
ni está el mañana -ni el ayer- escrito.
¿Quién ha visto la faz al Dios hispano?
Mi corazón aguarda
Al hombre ibero de la recia mano,
que tallará en el roble castellano
el Dios adusto de la tierra parda [18].
For a young Balenciaga, raised by his fisherman father, José, and seamstress mother, Martina Eizaguirre, this meant a life of scarcity tempered by community and faith. Martina’s workshop, where Cristóbal learned to sew after José’s death when he was eleven.
Globally, the Industrial Revolution and imperial tensions birthed the First World War (1914-1918), where Spain’s neutrality drew European elites to Balenciaga’s early San Sebastián clientele. The Second World War (1939-1945) tested his Parisian years, with rationing inspiring designs of minimal fabric and maximal elegance.
Cristobal Balenciaga was aware of the art, even though he didn’t have a superior formation. But artists like Pablo Picasso (Cubism), Wassily Kandinsky (abstraction), and Claude Monet (Impressionism), alongside musicians Igor Stravinsky (The Rite of Spring) and Maurice Ravel (Bolero), redefined creativity, their innovations paralleling Balenciaga’s fusion of tradition and modernity. Also, architects like Antoni Gaudí who transformed Barcelona with organic, faith-inspired forms in his designs in Sagrada Familia or in other of his buildings or urbanistic designs.
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) marked a turning point, shattering Balenciaga’s world and forcing his exile to Paris in 1937. The conflict pitted Republicans against Nationalists, with the Basque Country caught in the crossfire. The war’s assault on the Church, with thousands of clergies killed and sacred spaces desecrated, likely deepened Balenciaga’s attachment to the faith of his youth, a silent anchor as he fled the chaos.
The ascent of Francisco Franco’s regime in 1939 marked a complex chapter in Balenciaga’s career. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), his ateliers in the peninsula were forced to close, driving him into exile in Paris. Yet, under Franco’s dictatorship, he maintained close ties with Spain’s aristocracy, including the Franco family, whose patronage underscored his enduring prestige. Among his notable designs for them was the wedding gown for Carmen Martínez-Bordiú, Franco’s granddaughter. This commission, executed four years after his retirement, highlights the regime’s valuation of fashion as a symbol of Catholic modesty and national pride.
History and society shaped Balenciaga’s life, yet he remained steadfast in his pursuit of beauty through organic forms and designs. He consistently maintained an elegant and modest aesthetic, countering the harsh realities of the world’s tumultuous times while also evoking periods of historical stability, such as the reign of the Habsburgs.
3.2 Spiritual and Folkloric Influences
The culture that Christopher soaked his life was in its beginnings a Catholic spirituality and the great figure of Basque culture. This is what has permeated most in Balenciaga’s designs, since in all of them he has adapted so much to the culture of the woman who will wear his designs without leaving aside the Catholic belief that he has to maintain a modesty and decorum when it comes to present himself.
Like all artists, he does not renounce to nourish himself from the great artists before him and look for the beauty they portray in them. This shows his artistic quality and his personal depth in the search for beauty.
3.2.1 Religious influence
Cristóbal Balenciaga’s genius as a designer was not merely a product of skill, but a reflection of a profound religious sensibility nurtured in the Catholic heart of Spain’s Basque Country. This spiritual dimension, subtle yet pervasive, found early expression in his formative years at his mother’s workshop in Getaria, a village where Martina Eizaguirre plied her trade as a seamstress. It was here, amid the hum of needles and thread, that Balenciaga’s path intersected with the Marchesa of Casa Torres, a figure whose influence would shape both his career and his soul. The Marchesa, grandmother of Queen Fabiola of Belgium, was a frequent visitor to Martina’s workshop, her presence a bridge between the humble craft of a seamstress and the refined world of the aristocracy.
A well-known story from Balenciaga’s youth captures this pivotal encounter. At thirteen or fourteen, already enamored with the art of couture, Cristóbal spent countless hours alongside his mother, absorbing the rhythms of her work. One day, as the Marchesa visited, the boy boldly shared his dream of becoming a fashion designer. Sensing his earnestness, she issued a challenge: she handed him a piece of fabric and one of her own dresses, tasking him to replicate it and prove his worth. With a diligence that belied his age, he produced a copy so impeccable that Marchesa, deeply impressed, became his first patron. This moment, often cited as the genesis of his career, carries a deeper significance when viewed through a religious lens. The Marchesa, a devout Catholic whose faith was woven into her noble life, recognized in the young Balenciaga not just talent, but a humility and dedication resonant with Christian virtue. Her patronage opened doors to elite commissions, yet it was her spiritual example, rooted in a modesty that shunned vanity, that left an indelible mark on his aesthetic.
This relationship bore fruit beyond secular garments, extending into the sacred realm of liturgical vestments. The Marchesa enlisted Balenciaga to craft attire for her private chapel, including the cope of Our Lady and other ceremonial robes[19].
The Marchesa’s influence found a later echo in her granddaughter, Queen Fabiola of Belgium, whose life and faith further illuminate Balenciaga’s religious trajectory. Though Fabiola’s direct connection with Balenciaga crystallized decades later, their shared lineage through the Marchesa suggests a continuity of values. In 1960, Balenciaga designed Fabiola’s wedding gown for her marriage to King Baudouin—a masterpiece of white satin and mink that embodied a regal modesty, free of ostentation yet luminous in its purity. Fabiola, a woman of deep Catholic devotion known for her charitable works and rejection of worldly excess, mirrored Balenciaga’s own ethos.
Cristóbal was known as the fashion’s monk, because he lived for working in new designs, being almost in a cloister, his workshop. Thanks to his designs we see part of his heart; modesty, humility in the absence of ornamentation, service and responsibility in his works. These virtues are also present and tell us about his hide life.
Balenciaga’s religiosity, though rarely articulated in words due to his reserved nature, permeated his work. In Getaria’s chapels, the Marchesa’s patronage, and Fabiola’s quiet faith, we see the threads of a life where fashion became a silent act of worship, honoring the human form as the image of God[20]. Through these influences, Balenciaga forged a legacy where modesty and beauty converge as offerings to the divine.
3.2.2 Influence of nationalism and folklore
A striking trace of Spanish culture in Balenciaga’s oeuvre is his reinterpretation of the torero’s attire, particularly the “chaquetilla” he ornate jacket worn by bullfighters. This emblem of masculine bravado, steeped in national folklore, was deftly adapted for women’s fashion with a modesty that belies its origins. Balenciaga softened its rigid structure and bold embellishments, crafting garments that drape the female form with simplicity and elegance.
Equally profound was the influence of Spain’s master painters, whose works Balenciaga cherished: Diego Velázquez of the Baroque era, and the Romanticists Francisco de Goya and Ignacio Zuloaga. Velázquez’s somber palette and dignified compositions, as seen in Las Meninas, offered a model of restrained grandeur that Balenciaga echoed in his structured silhouettes, such as the 1951 tunic dress a nod to the aristocratic continuity he served in Europe’s elite circles. Goya, with his dramatic contrasts and vivid portrayals of everyday life, La maja vestida or La Duquesa de Alba, captured the romantic spirit of Spanish dress, lace mantillas and layered skirts, hat Balenciaga reimagined with modern flair.
His 1960s collections, featuring delicate lace and flowing capes, breathe new life into these forms, blending Romanticism’s emotional depth with a refined sobriety. Ignacio Zuloaga, a contemporary of Balenciaga’s youth, portrayed Spain’s rural soul in works like El torero viejo, where earthy tones and folkloric figures reflect a piety and simplicity that Balenciaga distilled into his designs. These painters, each a chronicler of Spanish culture and religious devotion, imbued his work with a beauty that speaks to both the temporal and the eternal.
Balenciaga’s engagement with folklore extended beyond Spain, embracing other cultures to enrich his vision. His iconic capes, marked by supreme elegance and simplicity, draw from the voluminous cloaks of Basque shepherds and the ceremonial mantles of Spanish tradition, yet they also hint at broader influences, such as the Japanese kimono, an exemplar of Eastern culture[21].
Today, this legacy endures in contemporary fashion. The modern Balenciaga brand, reinterprets these folkloric volumes in oversized silhouettes, though often sacrificing the original modesty for bold experimentation. Through nationalism and folklore, Balenciaga transformed Spain’s cultural heritage into a timeless dialogue of modesty and beauty, a testament to his roots that continues to resonate in our day.
Conclusion
In short, we find in Balenciaga a man who is able to soak up the culture around him, taking the examples at hand, whether from earlier times or his contemporaries. It is his first characteristic, he is an artist in all his facets, taking the forms, lights and colors of examples of works of art such as architecture or painting. From all this he makes a distillate that we see reflected in his designs. This is the search for beauty, which makes him be attentive to proportions wherever he goes that speak of someone perfect.
His vision of the past was not a romantic vision that only longed for past glories but was able to bring it to the present and make it useful and attractive to the society of his time. He achieves this by abstracting certain elements without breaking the clarity that St. Thomas proposes there should be for beauty. There is also a clear example of proportio sharing the proportions dictated by the architecture of the time, with larger and more open volumes and spaces but without being exaggerated or brutalist. A great example is the architecture of Gaudi or Franz Lloyd Wright.
The fashion that Balenciaga created was accessible only to a few women, as it was very expensive. Balenciaga was clear that the perfection of the technique was essential for a good result of the garment. But it is true that at a time when fashion could serve as a badge of privilege, Balenciaga conceived it as a bridge to the universal. His legacy lives on not in the wealth of those who wore his designs, but in the timeless truth they embody: that beauty and modesty. Balenciaga refused to work for the imminent Prêt-à-porter, so he remained a luxury couturier.
Balenciaga knew how to bring to the fashion of evening dresses the flamenco style that we find in the tailed dresses worn by flamenco dancers, these dresses with long tails full of ruffles. It is a very Spanish brand that is undoubtedly of great beauty. Or also the “Spanish mantillas”, as a characteristic complement of the national fashion and that has been portrayed by different artists but in a special way Goya did it. Balenciaga integrated this traditional accessory that is a symbol of reverence, elegance and sophistication in fashion. The very noble material, silk tulle embroidered with silk threads, makes a very fine lace that frames the woman’s face and covers her hair in a very unique way, the fabric being elevated with a comb, made of tortoiseshell or mother-of-pearl..
Finally, I would like to conclude with a phrase attributed to Balenciaga that defines very well the mastery and passion he had for fashion design: « a good couturier must be an architect for the patterns, a sculptor for the form, a painter for the color, a musician for the harmony and a philosopher for the measure »[22].
Bibliography:
- 1959-15. Cristóbal Balenciaga, fashion designer, at country house From the Collection: Morath, Inge, 1923-2002
- BARBARA J. BLOEMINK & JOSEPH CUNNINGHAM, Design ≠ Art: Functional Objects from Donald Judd to Rachel Whiteread, Merrell Publishers, 2004
- Fashion Theory Spanish Couture: In the Shadow of Cristóbal Balenciaga
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica.
- Jouve, Marie-Andrée & Demornex, Jacqueline.
- Mathews, Anne. Fashion and Faith: Modesty and the Christian Dress
- https://search.library.yale.edu/catalog/16039469
- https://www.vogue.es/articulos/balenciaga-firma-alta-costura-moda
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cristobal-Balenciaga
- https://www.cultura.gob.es/mtraje/dam/jcr:1d028b9b-fd06-4dec-9cac-2c57c3760b66/11-2013.pdf
[1] OBRAS COMPLETAS SANTA TERESA DE JESÚS,
[2] Pontifical Council for Culture, The Via Pulchritudinis: Privileged Pathway for Evangelisation and Dialogue Vatican City: The Holy See, 2006 https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/cultr/documents/rc_pc_cultr_doc_20060327_plenary-assembly_en.html.
[3] HAMLET, William Shakespeare, Oxford University Press 1987, Act I, Scene 3, line 72
[4] NOVUM TESTAMNETUM Graece et Latine Nestle- Alan
[5] THOMAS AQUINAS, Summa Theologiae, I, q. 39, a. 8
[6] Ibid. I, q. 5, a. 4
[7] Ibid. II-II, q. 145, a. 2
[8] Ibid. I, q. 5, a. 4
[9] Ibid. I, q. 67, a. 1
[10] Pontifical Council for Culture, The Via Pulchritudinis: Privileged Pathway for Evangelisation and Dialogue Vatican City: The Holy See, 2006 https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/cultr/documents/rc_pc_cultr_doc_20060327_plenary-assembly_en.html.
[11] CATECHISM OF THE CACTHOLICH CHURCH, 2522
[12] 1 Corinthians 6:19
[13] Audiencia General, 16 de enero de 1980, adaptada en Theology of the Body
[14] VICTOR HUGO, Los Miserables, Editorial Porrúa, México 2011, 19
[15] MEJÍAS ÁLVAREZ, Iconografía de la Virgen de Gracia de Carmona, Sevilla 1990, 125-136
[16] cfr. BARBARA J. BLOEMINK & JOSEPH CUNNINGHAM, Design ≠ Art: Functional Objects from Donald Judd to Rachel Whiteread, Merrell Publishers, 2004
[17] The current Queen Leticia posing for an official portrait in a Balenciaga dress. HYPERLINK “https://www.vogue.es/articulos/retratos-fotos-reyes-espana-annie-leibovitz”https://www.vogue.es/articulos/retratos-fotos-reyes-espana-annie-leibovitz
[18] ANTONIO MACHADO, Poesías Completas, Espasa-Calpe, Madrid 1988, 39
[19] JOUVE, MARIE-ANDRÉE & DEMORNEX, JACQUELINE. Balenciaga , Editions du Regard, Francia 1988
[20] Ibid
[21] Ibid
[22] Phrase popularly attributed to Cristobal balenciaga https://www.unav.edu/opinion/-/contents/19/03/2024/la-abstraccion-en-cristobal-balenciaga/content/CnBM7sduyZOb/95410243
