About Cristóbal Balenciaga
Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre (Spanish: [kɾisˈtoβal βalenˈθjaɣa ejθaˈɣire]; Basque: Cristobal Balentziaga Eizagirre [kɾis̺toβal βalents̻i.aɣa eis̻aɣire]; 21 January 1895 – 24 March 1972) was a Spanish fashion designer, and the founder of the Balenciaga clothing brand. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was referred to as "the master of us all" by Christian Dior and as "the only couturier in the truest sense of the word" by Coco Chanel, who continued, "The others are simply fashion designers". On the day of his death, in 1972, Women's Wear Daily ran the headline "The King is Dead". Since 2011 the purpose-built Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum has exhibited examples of his work in his birth town Getaria. Many of the 1,200 pieces in the collection were supplied by his pupil Hubert de Givenchy and clients such as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. He created many designs for socialite Aline Griffith, diplomat Margarita Salaverría Galárraga, and designer Meye Allende de Maier, considering them his muses. First, he decided to retire from active life in May 1968 and, a few months later, on 1 July, the newspapers broke the news of his headquarters in Paris and his studios in Madrid closing.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.