# Cristóbal Balenciaga (TV series)

Cristóbal Balenciaga is a Spanish biographical drama television miniseries created by Lourdes Iglesias, Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga, and starring Alberto San Juan as Spanish fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. The series premiered on Disney+ on 19 January 2024.

## Premise

In 1937, after a successful career with his ateliers in Madrid and San Sebastián dressing the Spanish elite and aristocracy, the designer Cristóbal Balenciaga made the international leap by presenting his first haute couture collection in Paris. However, the designs that set trends in Spain did not work in the sophisticated fashion empire that Paris had become, where Chanel, Dior and Givenchy were the benchmark for haute couture. Guided by his obsession for control in all aspects of his life, Balenciaga would define his style to become one of the greatest designers in history.

## Cast and characters
### Main

* Alberto San Juan as Cristóbal Balenciaga
* Thomas Coumans as Wladzio D'Attainville, Cristóbal's boyfriend
* Adam Quintero as Ramón Esparza
* Josean Bengoetxea [es] as Nicolás Bizkarrondo
* Cecilia Solaguren as Virgilia Mendizabal
* Gemma Whelan as Prudence Glynn
* Anouk Grinberg as Coco Chanel
* Patrice Thibaud [fr] as Christian Dior
* Adrien Dewitte as Hubert de Givenchy
* Claude Perron as Renée Tamisier
* Camille Glémet as Suzanne
* Émeline Bayart [fr] as Florette

### Recurring

* Nine d'Urso as Colette
* Iñake Irastorza [eu] as Vera

### Guest

* Elvira Cuadrupani as Bettina Ballard
* Gabrielle Lazure as Carmel Snow
* Itziar Aizpuru [es] as Cristóbal's mother
* Ane Urtizberea as Ruth
* Francis Leplay as Lucien Lelong
* Roxane Duran as Cécile
* Christian Abart [fr] as Heim
* Jean Paul Szybura as Marcel Boussac
* Armel Cazedepats as Philippe Venet
* Anna-Victoire Olivier as Audrey Hepburn
* Marjorie Glantz as Edith Head
* Belén Cuesta as Fabiola
* Olalla Hernández [es] as Carmen

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | "A Matter of Style" (Spanish: "Cuestión de estilo") | Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | Aitor Arregi, Lourdes Iglesias, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | 19 January 2024 (2024-1-19) |
| 2 | "The Occupation" (Spanish: "La ocupación") | Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | Aitor Arregi, Lourdes Iglesias, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | 19 January 2024 (2024-1-19) |
| 3 | "A Rival to Balenciaga" (Spanish: "Un rival para Balenciaga") | Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | Aitor Arregi, Lourdes Iglesias, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | 19 January 2024 (2024-1-19) |
| 4 | "Replicas" (Spanish: "Réplicas") | Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | Aitor Arregi, Lourdes Iglesias, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | 19 January 2024 (2024-1-19) |
| 5 | "Dressing a Queen" (Spanish: "Vestir a una reina") | Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | Aitor Arregi, Lourdes Iglesias, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | 19 January 2024 (2024-1-19) |
| 6 | "I Am Balenciaga" (Spanish: "Balenciaga soy yo") | Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | Aitor Arregi, Lourdes Iglesias, Jon Garaño, and Jose Mari Goenaga | 19 January 2024 (2024-1-19) |

## Production

On 12 November 2021, Disney+ announced that they would produce their first original series in Spain: Balenciaga, a biographical series about Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga. In June 2022, Alberto San Juan was cast as Balenciaga, while the rest of the cast was revealed in July 2022. In late September 2022, it was announced that the series was on track to complete filming after four months of work in various locations.
When Disney+ announced the premiere date for the series, it was revealed that at some point in production the title of the series had changed from Balenciaga to Cristóbal Balenciaga.

## Release

On 30 October 2023, Disney+ released the teaser trailer and announced that the series would premiere on Disney+ in Spain and on Star+ in Latin America on 19 January 2024. On 18 December 2023, the final trailer for the series was released.

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2024 | 30th Forqué Awards | Best Series | Best Series | Nominated |
| 2024 | 30th Forqué Awards | Best Actor in a Series | Alberto San Juan | Nominated |
| 2025 | 12th Feroz Awards | Best Drama Series | Best Drama Series | Pending |
| 2025 | 12th Feroz Awards | Best Main Actor in a Series | Alberto San Juan | Pending |
| 2025 | 33rd Actors and Actresses Union Awards | Best Television Actor in a Leading Role | Alberto San Juan | Nominated |
| 2025 | 33rd Actors and Actresses Union Awards | Bet Television Actress in a Minor Role | Belén Cuesta | Nominated |