Which French fashion house was founded by a Spanish designer?

The French fashion house founded by a Spanish designer is Balenciaga. Its founder, Cristóbal Balenciaga, was born in Getaria in the Basque Country of Spain and established his first fashion business in San Sebastián before opening the Paris couture house that made his name internationally famous.

Balenciaga’s Paris house opened on Avenue George V in August 1937, after the Spanish Civil War prompted him to leave Spain. His designs were celebrated for their sculptural construction, precise tailoring, and inventive silhouettes. He broadened the shoulders, loosened the waist, and helped develop influential forms such as the tunic dress, cocoon coat, balloon jacket, and sack dress.

The label is sometimes described as Spanish because of its founder and origins, but the fashion house became deeply associated with Parisian haute couture. Cristóbal Balenciaga retired in 1968, and the brand was later revived in the 1980s. Its modern corporate headquarters are in Paris, and it is owned by the French luxury group Kering.

Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Givenchy are also major French fashion names, but they do not fit this particular clue. Balenciaga’s Spanish-born founder is the identifying detail.