"Cristóbal Balenciaga's impact on fashion has been profound. Yet to the world at large he remains an enigma. He is not associated with a signature outfit, like Coco Chanel, nor with a pivotal moment, like Christian Dior and the New Look of 1947, nor a cultural phenomenon like Vivienne Westwood and punk. From the moment he opened his Paris house, his clothes struck a note of simplicity that at times had a regal presence, at others a graphic grace."