Renato Balestra

Renato Balestra is an Italian fashion designer. He was born in early 1930s in Trieste, Italy in a family of architects and engineers. From early age, he enjoyed art, paining and music but studied for a degree in civil engineering. At his last year of studies, he began to design dresses as a hobby. His first design was a result of a bet made among friends. His friend secretly sent the design result to a fashion designer in Milan in 1950. That’s how Renato Balestra got invited to participate in the creation of an haute couture collection and he moved to Milan. Renato Balestra began his career designing for theatre, movies and the world of fashion. His first collection with his name on it was presented at the second fashion show organized by Giovanni Battista Giorgini from Florence (who was employed by American department stores to select Italian-made clothes) in 1952. That was the start of his fashion label. He opened the boutique at Via Sistina in Milan and began his climb to international fame and success. Today Renato Balestra designs include haute couture and ready-to-wear collections, men’s wear and fashion accessories. Renato designed for prestigious clients like Empress Farah Diba, the Queen of Thailand, Saudi Arabian princesses, the first ladies of Philippines and Egypt and also many celebrities and actresses. He designed costumes for various theatres and operas, including the costume for of the famous Rossini’s musical “Cinderella” in 2008 for Belgrade’s Opera Theatre. Renato was also involved in television business, taking parts in few Italian TV shows. In Bejing he was awarded with the title of Honorary Professor of the Fashion Academy. Renato Balestra’s first fragrance was launched in 1978, named Balestra. The fragrance was created in collaboration with Industrie Cosmetiche Riunite. The new interpretation of the original launched in 1991 in association with the Company Weruska & Joel. Designer Renato Balestra has 15 perfumes in our fragrance base. The earliest edition was created in 1978 and the newest is from 2015. Renato Balestra fragrances were made in collaboration with perfumers Maurizio Cerizza, Alberto Morillas and Bertrand Duchaufour.