- Balenciaga SA (/bəˌlɛnsiˈɑːɡə/ bə-LEN-see-AH-gə) is luxury fashion house founded in 1919 by the Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastian, Spain. Balenciaga produces ready-to-wear footwear, handbags, and accessories, and licenses its name and branding to Coty for fragrances. It is currently owned by the French corporation Kering.