Balenciaga, born in 1918 when Cristóbal Balenciaga opened his namesake boutique in San Sebastian, Spain, became one of the greatest fashion houses of the early 20th century. It invented popular silhouettes, which today are known as the baby doll, the bubble skirt, and the bracelet sleeve — along with its signature sculptural design aesthetic. Fast-forward to 1997, when a young Nicolas Ghesquière took over design for the house. Ghesquière's fashion-forward aesthetic has consistently wowed us with his use of asymmetry, high-tech textiles, trademark structured silhouettes, and space-age-printing techniques. The designer has helmed the brand for over 10 years and shows no signs of slowing down, making Balenciaga a covetable luxury brand for every fashion-loving woman. Click through to see our awesome runway retrospective.