Fragrance house

Balenciaga

Founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastián in 1917, the House established its Paris couture address at 10 Avenue George V in 1937. Its original couture identity was shaped by innovations in form and technique, including architectural silhouettes and altered proportions. Balenciaga left fashion in 1968; couture returned on July 7, 2021, with the House’s first couture collection since 1967. Appointed artistic director in 2015, Demna extended the work into menswear and, from 2018, unified men’s and women’s presentations while reinterpreting Cristóbal Balenciaga’s codes through unusual proportions, trompe-l’oeil, upcycling, and studies of the readymade. Pierpaolo Piccioli became creative director in July 2025, and his first collection was unveiled that October. Balenciaga joined Kering in 2001; on March 31, 2026, L’Oréal completed the acquisition of Kering Beauté and signed a 50-year exclusive license covering fragrance and beauty products under the Balenciaga name, without acquiring the fashion House itself. Balenciaga’s fragrance history began with Le Dix, created by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1947; in 2025, its original bottle was rediscovered and the fragrance reimagined as the historical anchor of a ten-scent high-perfumery collection.