Cristóbal Balenciaga retired and closed his couture house in 1968.
Balenciaga withdrew from haute couture at age 74 after three decades in Paris. He had opened his Paris couture house on Avenue George V in August 1937, after leaving Spain when the Civil War disrupted his businesses. His sculptural designs had transformed fashion in the 1950s and 1960s, including broad, waistless silhouettes, tunic dresses, and Empire-line coats.
The closure was announced in July 1968 and surprised employees and clients. Balenciaga cited the increasingly difficult economics of haute couture, including heavy French taxes and declining American demand. His perfume and accessories divisions continued, so the closure ended his couture operation rather than the Balenciaga name itself.
A common mix-up is 1972: that was the year Balenciaga died and also designed one of his final gowns. The brand was later revived, with the company acquired by new owners in the 1980s.