Cristóbal Balenciaga was of what nationality?

Cristóbal Balenciaga was Spanish by nationality.

He was born Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre on January 21, 1895, in Getaria, a Basque coastal town in Spain’s Gipuzkoa province. His Spanish and Basque background remained important throughout his career, influencing his use of religious, royal, folkloric, and painterly references from Spanish culture.

Balenciaga began working in Spain, opening a San Sebastián boutique in 1917 and later operating branches in Madrid and Barcelona. The Spanish royal family and aristocracy became early clients. In 1937, the Spanish Civil War prompted his move to Paris, where he founded the couture house that made him internationally famous.

He is sometimes mistaken for a French designer because his major career unfolded in Paris. Paris was his professional base, but his nationality and birthplace were Spanish.