Cristobal Balenciaga’s  first original work was a pearl-studded collar he made for his cat, which was noticed by Marchesa Casa Torres. The local noblewoman later became Balenciaga’s patron.
Oscar de La Renta, André Courrege, Emanuel Ungaro and Hubert de Givenchy all practiced chez Balenciaga.
When Balenciaga closed his Maison in 1968, his devoted client Countess Mona Bismarck mourned locked up in her rooms for three full days.

• Balenciaga was widely acknowledged by his fellow designers. Even the sharp tongue of Coco Chanel softened in deference to his skills: “Balenciaga is a couturier in the truest sense of the word. Only he is capable of cutting material, assembling a creation, and sewing it by hand. The others are simply fashion designers.”
• Cristobal Balenciaga was a true anticonformist and always refused to join La Chambre Syndacale de La Mode.
• Balenciaga closed down his business in 1968,  because he didn’t want to compromise his designs with the upcoming pret-à-porter and commercial-driven licencing activites.
  Having seen the miniskirt, he allegedly stated ” In this ugly world, there is no room left for true Couture”.
• In 2012 a curious Tumbl dedicated to the praise of Nicholas Ghesquière appeared online.
  “Balenciaga Did It First” posted current fashion designs from different Brands and correspondent Balenciaga items from former seasons, all to prove Ghesquière fashion-forward-minded attitude. The blog closed just a few weeks after its creation.