The Roots of Balenciaga Before Cristóbal Balenciaga re-shaped Paris couture, he was shaped by Spain, its landscapes, its rituals, its aristocracy and its un-compromising traditions of craft. His Spanish years were not a prelude; they were the foundation of everything he would become. Born in 1895 in the fishing village of Getaria, Balenciaga grew upContinue reading “PART III: Balenciaga Before Paris: His Spanish Years”
Tag Archives: French history
PART IV: Balenciaga in Paris: The Birth of a New Style
1937–1940: When the Master Arrived and Paris Took Notice When Cristóbal Balenciaga arrived in Paris in 1937, he was not an un-known talent seeking approval, he was already a master. Spain had shaped him, disciplined him and refined his eye. But Paris would give him something Spain could not; a global stage and a coutureContinue reading “PART IV: Balenciaga in Paris: The Birth of a New Style”
Introducing French Beauty History
Catherine de’ Medici is one of the single most important figures in the entire history of French beauty and fashion. She is the woman who importsItalian beauty culture into France and sets the foundation for what we now call “French beauty.” Catherine de’ Medici’s arrival to Paris in 1533 marks the moment when Renaissance cosmetics, perfumery,Continue reading “Introducing French Beauty History”
Catherine de’ Medici: The Lady Who Brought Beauty (and Fashion) to France
When Catherine de’ Medici arrived in France in 1533 as the new Queen of France, she did not come alone. She brought with her an entire world, a Renaissance beauty culture shaped by Italian science, alchemy, perfumery, and ritual. In doing so, she forever altered the course of French beauty and fashion. Catherine was notContinue reading “Catherine de’ Medici: The Lady Who Brought Beauty (and Fashion) to France”
Marie Antoinette + Louis XVI: Off with Their Heads!: Beauty (and Fashion) to end the French Monarchy? How the French Revolution Became the New Beginning!
By the late eighteenth century, beauty at Versailles had become more than ritual, it became a spectacle. What Catherine de’ Medici once introduced as intention and identity had evolved into a theatrical performance of power. The court lived inside a world of powdered faces, towering poufs, jewel‑encrusted bodices, and gowns so elaborate they required entireContinue reading “Marie Antoinette + Louis XVI: Off with Their Heads!: Beauty (and Fashion) to end the French Monarchy? How the French Revolution Became the New Beginning!”
Napoleonic Era, Part I: Re-building Beauty After the Revolution (1799–1804)
Welcome to the Napoleonic Era in French Beauty History! Have you got your snack, a drink perhaps? Get oh-so comfortable, as we begin the next journey into French Beauty History, by delving into the Napoleon era! When the French Revolution ended, France entered a strange, suspended moment — a nation exhausted by terror, stripped ofContinue reading “Napoleonic Era, Part I: Re-building Beauty After the Revolution (1799–1804)”
