Cristóbal Balenciaga: A Visionary in Fashion Innovation

Brand Overview

A great innovator of luxury in the mid-20th century Christopher Balenciaga changed the fashion of women dramatically. He crafted clothing with fluidity and elegance with the systematic ability of an expert tailor. Balenciaga could drape, cut and match his muslin designs known as toilets as opposed to many couturiers. His skills in technique and fabrication and his unflinching perfectionism were admired in all of the fashion industry.

In the Basque province of Spain, Balenciaga was born on January 21 1895, in the fishing village of Guetaria. From the beginning of his life, he spent several hours working as a seamstress with his mother. During his youth, Marquesa de Casa Torres, his most famous wife, was his boss and customer and sent him to Madrid to practice customization and wear the results gladly. In his home country, Balenciaga had early success (Pérez, 2019). In Madrid, Barcelona and design in San Sebastián, he launched branches of his boutique Eisa. Balenciaga held the first fashion demonstration on Avenue Georg V in 1937 (Cabigiosu, 2020). The Spanish royal family and modest members of the nobility preferred his projects. He transferred his activity to Paris during the Spanish Civil War and entered the ranks of Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. By 1939, the French press hailed Balenciaga as a revolutionizing power, with investors and consumers unable to reach his line. Balenciaga's designs, particularly his celebrated square coat — in which the cuff was cut in one piece with the yok — and all in his unusual colour combination of black and brown or black lace on a bright rose, risked customers travel to Europe during the 2nd World War. The designs of Balenciaga were simplified and linear in the post-war era (RADSADONDEE & PASUNON, 2021).

The clothes he produced differed from Christian Dior with his New Look's iconic curving form of an hourglass. Balenciaga preferred liquid lines that encouraged him to change the way a woman's body is clothed. Waistlines were lowered and lifted, regardless of the actual waistline of the wearer. In 1953, he unveiled the globetrotter, a smart sphere that surrounded the upper body and provided the wearer's head with a pedestal. In 1957 his high-waist baby doll, the gracefully draped cocoon suit, and the ballon skirt, seen as one or two pouffes, were made. Neither the 1957 bag dress nor the 1958 shirt has a distinct belt, but both have been regarded as uniformly flattering and have been replicated at any price point by many prepared wear companies. Balenciaga's main input into the fashion industry is a modern design for women, with these advances in architecture (Arana, 2019).

Balenciaga continued to display unprecedented technological and beautiful collections in the 1960s. He preferred bold materials, thick cloths, and ornate stitchers to use his imaginative fabrics to work for Abraham's Swiss textile company. The silk gazar, a stiffer version of Balenciaga's folding fabric in clothing, daywear and evening Wear, was created in combination. The subtle yet significant touches that he put on his clothes tended to enjoy the loyal customers, including Windsor Duchess, Pauline de Rothschild and Gloria Guinness: collars that stood apart from the collarbone, giving a swanlike look and a shorter (seven-eye) strap that made the wearer better flavour. The end of the career of a great artist, whose presence is still being felt in the 21st century, came at the end of the Sala Balenciaga in 1968. André Courrèges and Emanuel Ungaro, who trained at the workshop and Hubert de Givenchy, among others, maintained the modern look which he had developed (Harutyunyan, 2020). Balenciaga was killed in his beloved Spain on March 24, 1972. A long-standing customer gave an epitaph: "To wear his clothes women did not have to be flawless or even pretty. He turned them stunning in his clothing."

Segmentation Analysis & Competitor Analysis

Balenciaga segmentation requires diversity. It would be unreasonable to divide the market without various individuals of diverse cultures, cultural characteristics, countries of origin and desires on which they have focused needs and descriptions. Market segmentation is generally a method of segregation into individual customer subjects with similar characteristics which need to be chosen into marketing mix segments (Morin, 2020). The technique of segmentation relies on the customer segment involved in the company's goods. Balenciaga has four important market features to concentrate on: demographic, geography, psychology, and sociocultural; for Balenciaga, every segmentation stage is significant, and its use helps them find the best way to target and brand. Costantino (Piancatelli et al., 2020) states that the category of age, gender balance, place, employment, wealth, customer profiles, geodemographic variables, and psychography is best for consumer research book on FASHY and PR. The author studies segmentation forms that may be useful to analyze cases and excludes those mentioned in other chapters.

Geodemographics

Living space plays one of the convincing parts in what and how consumers buy. People usually travel from one town to another and change their positions throughout their lives. Mode marketers must forecast these changes and then allow their messaging and targeting (Pastore, 2018). Fashion brands and designers now have online shops and branch stores, city centres with various clothes, and making mode more accessible. Companies that choose to advertise their products through the Internet attract large numbers of individuals worldwide. Nevertheless, other firms are moving against each other to develop their client base successfully. They reduce demand in a particular area and help to develop consistency and quantity for customers. A mixture of geographic and demographic segmentation in Balenciaga makes it easy to have identical financial capacities, lifestyles and hobbies next to each other (Vogel et al., 2019).

Social Influence

In culture, particularly in the European context, Balenciaga's creativity and revolutionary qualities had considerable influence. The Spanish aristocracy and the royal family supported his exceptional creations and his innovative approach to fashion. For the Royal family and respected citizens in the Spanish society, he made the clothing and separate wear (Parmentier & Fischer,2020). High-class citizens from different nations will then purchase Balenciaga fashions to maintain their high social standing. The brand was regarded as the most costly and luxurious dress. The Marquesa de Casa Torres, at a young age, recognized his talent (Heilbrunn par. 5). While Balenciaga had learnt from his mother, who was a tailor, he acquired dramatic sewing skills. Torres supported him to study vocational skills in Madrid as a means of promoting society. The social and financial assistance he got from different individuals and organizations helped him change the pattern in society. The couture house he designed and built-in Paris, for example, was an emblem of a noble society. The shop was named after him and was also his fashion brand. Many cultures worldwide have been delighted with the creations of Balenciaga. He maintained concepts aimed at high-quality individuals in society. Balenciaga ran his first shops under Eisa's name as an abbreviation of his mother's patronym (Heo & Lee, 2019). In the early to mid-twenties, the company transformed society's view of clothes and fashion.

Balenciaga's formational success in Spain formed the basis for brand recognition in Paris. The highly qualified society was concerned with its excellence of suitable dress by its adaptive capabilities and mastery of fashion principles (Pistilli, 2018). He manipulated the circles and semicircles, which fascinating many who loved Spain's early 20th century clerical and ecclesiastical garments. His use of particular colours such as grey, black, purple, bright red, and others, produced some decorative types that the culture liked (Diktaş & Akgün, 2021). The main aesthetic among communities in Spain and France was heavy brothers and braids in designs and some materials. Many who loved historical Spanish paintings and sculptures welcomed the costumes of Balenciaga. His early designs made his brand influential internationally for women in Paris San Sebastian (Barron, 2019). Guccio Gucci S.p.A., Louis Vuitton, GIVENCHY, Balmain, Leandro Lopes, Pradagroup, Versace, Burberry, Costume National and Coach are the top 10 competitors for Balenciaga's strategic package.

Consumer Selection Rationale

In February 2017, Balenciaga completely renewed its website, influenced by "excellent worksheets" and therefore highly minimalist and straightforward. "The current website of Balenciaga is built for transparency and directness. The menu becomes the website, inspired by pragmatic Excel Spreadsheets." That is what Balenciaga said about her Instagram profile. A decision that is sure to stimulate controversy, as the aim of clarification deprives the world of fashion of its image and esthetic focus. The Corporation appears to get used to how the clients were shocked by a brand new, $2,000 light blue bag that looks pretty much like Ikea selling $0.90 for a plastic bag (Mainolfi, 2020).

You go to different sections by browsing the Balenciaga website; each section consists of plain white, squared text (as an excellent cell), which describes the category of products available and the various sub-categories of products (Mainolfi, 2020). You can view and review the product inventory, colour, or order the product online (the price is clearly expressed); you are informed of shipping times and return conditions. The product site provides a concise, efficient explaining of all the services offered by the company. The product site has all of the details required by the consumer (March 2017).

The reality is probably in the centre since fashion designers cannot rule out the visual identity to construct their identity and demonstrate their 'core values.' Fashion consists of esthetics, colours, pictures (Mainolfi, 2020). It is a subject that is inevitably linked to exhibitionism, self-exposition, for someone who wishes to stand out. On the other hand, it is also true that at the end of the customer experience, it is relevant to ensure that the buyer can get the most Service, relax and feel like a journey of exclusivity and comfort through the fullest variety of options. (Golik & Izvekov, 2018).

Consumer Relationship Strategy

A catalogue of the best-selling brands from Balenciaga features thousand-dollar crocs, funny trainers and accessories that Cardi B describes herself as 'like socks.' These anti-high-mode designs have over the Internet and redefined how consumers think about high-mode and luxury. This is not the first time a shock effect has been effective in rejuvenating a company (Mainolfi, 2020). We saw this particularly when Tom Ford saved Gucci, using sex appeal in ads to get people to chat and ultimately save the brand nice (Golik & Izvekov, 2018). Balenciagas consumers are young and aged between 20- 28 years old.

As younger millennials increase their market share, high-end brand companies need to evolve to keep younger generations relevant, buzzy and fundamentally interested. Millennials will not be forever, and failure to respond to emerging developments in publicity will only pave the way for younger, more knowledgeable luxury Designers. Balenciaga capitalizes on this fact to continue building Consumer Relationship Strategy (Golik & Izvekov, 2018). Compared to adult consumers, the younger generations are more into fashion than any other group. Therefore, when they concentrate on this segment, they are sure to make a lot. High-mode is as old as ever, but a little facelift could be required. Balenciaga proves that while it can sound unintuitive or off-track comical to rejuvenate a brand's name, it does.

Consumer Profile 1

A 28-year-old woman, Olivia. She lives alone in the Northern Quarter in Manchester's City Centre, in a comfortable one bedroom flat. Olivia is a college graduate who makes £25,000 annually for a business as a pattern cutter. One day Senior Creative Gerber Pattern Cutter Olivia would like to raise her pay by £20,000 a year. This makes Olivia a class 15 on the Acorn (a prosperous urban professional) and a class B of the NRS.

Olivia is delighted to browse, fly and read fashion magazines. The style of Olivia is a combination of elegant and clever details. She likes tidy, custom-made patterns, high-quality fabrics, and high fashion accessories. Olivia shops collections for comfortable tops and skirts and the purse and shoe accessory collections from Balenciaga.

A label Seeker and a social user may be considered Olivia. She likes to keep up with the new styles, and she has to have things per season. In a blog called 'Le Manrepeller,' she practices popular styles such as Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Leandra Medine.

Consumer Profile 2

Tiffany Hsu, 26 years old, formerly worked as an intern in a London designer boutique, currently works as a fashion buyer. She graduated from central saint Martin and lived in Hong Kong, and frequently attends Balenciagas fashion shows. She has a net income of £3000 in a month.

Tiffany spends her money in Balenciagas fashion sport and going out for drinks with her friends; she also travels a lot due to work and visits different countries worldwide.

She is creative, and she likes to match different items all tighter, which she can wear; Tiffany likes doing her shopping in Balenciaga.

Consumer Profile 3

Leona DeLois is aged 25, works at a law firm by the day, and an artist at night; her net income is 120k per year. She resides in the USA and travels most within the country. Leona DeLois spends most of her money on fashion and style. She does most of her shopping in Balenciaga online stores. She is a fashion lover who likes going by the fashion trends of the current generation.

Conclusions and recommendations

Though Balenciaga is a well-performed brand, its marketing approach can still be transformed into a better module. To strengthen its position in several markets in the global marketplace, the brand must follow new and proven global marketing strategies. This saves a business money and improves the continuity of markets and branding. Currently, the Balenciaga marketing team is committed to supervising all of its territory and divided periods and gets a delegate on each market for each country. The brand should instead apply multinational marketing techniques since it improves economies of scale and promotes synergies to preserve this specific area's needs and cultural consideration. Recommendations for Balenciaga's effective, balanced method to a globally centralized campaign include:

Define what to handle globally and what to push at the global scale.

Public marketing is not limited to relying on the global arena; it can also concentrate on local business programs.

Strategy for Social Media Marketing

Digital media has modified the modern rules of advertisement with social network firms such as Facebook and others. New dialogues between consumers and brands have been continually opened like never before. What brand advertisements say no longer matters, but what the consumers want to react to it and feel it? The message passed by brands to the consumers is no longer regulated in traditional media such as television and magazines. The need for an advisor to help the company manage this complex environment has grown while transparency in the ads has changed exponentially. Therefore, to maintain this ever-evolving modern business world brought about by the advent of social media, Balenciaga partners with a credible social media marketing company are critical.

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