A sparkling life of the monumental fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga One of the most
innovative and admired figures in the history of haute couture Cristóbal Balenciaga was said
Christian Dior "the master of us all." Despite his extraordinary impact Balenciaga was a man
hidden from view. He saw to it that little was known about him to the point that some French
journalists wondered if he existed at all. Even his most devoted clients-Marlene Dietrich
Barbara Hutton a clutch of Rothschilds-never met him. But one woman knew Balenciaga very well
indeed. The first person he hired when he opened his Paris house was Florette Chelot who
became his top vendeuse. She witnessed the spectacular success of his first collection and
they worked closely for more than thirty years until 1968 when Balenciaga abruptly closed his
house without telling any of his staff. Youth-oriented fashion was taking over Paris was in
upheaval and the elder statesman wanted no part of it. In The Master of Us All Mary Blume
tells the remarkable story of the man and his world. Intimate and revealing this is an
unprecedented portrait of a designer whose vision transformed an industry but whose story has
never been told until now.
