Cristóbal Balenciaga Quotes

“A couturier must be an architect for design, a sculptor for shape, a painter for color, a musician for harmony, and a philosopher for temperance.”

“Elegance is elimination.”

“The war years made Balenciaga into the great couturier he became. Closed off in his studio, which became a sort of laboratory, Balenciaga could work quietly and develop his craft. Until then he had been merely gifted, by the war's end he was unique.”

“Balenciaga alone 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.”

“A couturier must be an architect of form, a sculptor for shape, a painter for color, a musician for harmony, and a philosopher for measure.”

“Haute couture is like an orchestra whose conductor is Balenciaga. We other couturiers are the musicians and we follow the direction he gives.”

“This is the house where couture for me is kind of innate, the essence. I felt it was my obligation. [Fear](/mental-models/fear) of not being enough. Fear of having to fill these very big shoes, left by 'the master of us all.'”