[Artwork: designslinger]

House of Balenciaga 
1918 saw the founding of Cristobal Balenciaga’s first haute couture house in San Sébastian, Spain. Local admiration for his designs was so strong that a second haute couture house was opened in Madrid and a third in Barcelona. In 1937, 10, Avenue George V became the Parisian home of Cristobal Balenciaga’s creative influence. Balenciaga’s Paris flagship store is still located at this address.

Balenciaga soon came to embody Parisian elegance. Cristobal Balenciaga was hailed as ‘The Couturier of Couturiers’ and ‘The Master of us all’’ by designer Christian Dior.

In 1946, the House of Balenciaga launched its first perfume, ‘Le Dix’, aptly named after its first atelier, 10, Avenue George V. ‘Le Dix’ attracted the same acclaim as the famous Balenciaga couture pieces, and the perfume soon even rivalled that of Coco Chanel herself. In 1968, Balenciaga closed his couture house, to the deep dismay of his favourite clients. Countess Mona Bismarck lamented the event by locking herself indoors for three days.

Cristobal Balenciaga died in his home country of Spain in 1972. His nephews then took the helm of the business. In 1978, control of the House of Balenciaga, including the important fragrance business, passed to Hoechst and then to Groupe Jacques Bogart in 1986.

In 1995, Nicolas Ghesquière was hired by the House, initially as a designer for the licensed products activity. He became creative director for the House’s own ready-to-wear and accessories collection in 1997.

Balenciaga Today

In 2001, Gucci Group, in partnership with Nicolas Ghesquière as creative director, acquired the House of Balenciaga, now  well on its way towards recreating the influence and respect that the house commanded in its former heydays.

Today, the House of Balenciaga creates women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories, sold worldwide.                                                                                                                www.balenciaga.com 

Tory Burch
Tory Burch is a lifestyle collection of sportswear and accessories for women, which embodies the personal style and spirit of its founder and creative director, Tory Burch. Perceiving a void in the market for a sophisticated American aesthetic at an accessible price point, Ms. Burch wanted to create stylish yet wearable clothing and accessories for women of all ages. Tory Burch was launched in February 2004 with the opening of a flagship store in New York City.

In designing Tory Burch, Ms. Burch draws inspiration from her favorite era—the 1960s and 1970s. She relies on such style influences as art, photographs, films, her mother and father’s vintage wardrobes and the work of interior designer David Hicks. These influences find their way into Burch’s personal style, which are directly reflected in the Tory Burch collection.

Tory Burch blends timeless and classic design elements with modern fashion sensibilities. Burch achieves this by drawing on her understanding of vintage clothing, fashion history and tailoring, and then accenting it with bohemian and ethnic details. Particularly significant to this diverse mix are bold and graphic prints, the colors of which convey the spirit of each collection. The Tory Burch collection provides an original look for the style-conscious woman who might be aware of the trends but does not rely on them. 

Tory Burch is currently sold at its freestanding stores in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Greenwich, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA, East Hampton, Bal Harbour, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego. Our first outlet store is located at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in New York. The collection is also available at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales stores nationwide, and at nearly 400 specialty stores throughout the United States. Outside of the US, the collection is available at Holt Renfrew, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols London and Dubai, Lane Crawford and select stores throughout Europe.
www.toryburch.com