Renato Balestra

Renato Balestra is an Italian fashion designer. He was born in the early 1930s in Trieste, Italy, to a family of architects and engineers. From an early age he was interested in art, painting and music, but he studied civil engineering. In his final year of studies he began designing dresses as a hobby. His first design was the result of a bet made between friends. His friend secretly sent the design to a fashion designer in Milan in 1950. This is how Renato Balestra received an invitation to participate in the creation of a haute couture collection, and he moved to Milan. Renato Balestra began his career working as a designer for the theater, cinema and the fashion world. His first collection bearing his name was presented at the second fashion show organized by Giovanni Battista Giorgini from Florence (who worked in American department stores to select Italian-made clothes) in 1952. This was the beginning of his fashion brand.
He opened a boutique on Via Sistina in Milan and began his ascent to international fame and success. Today, Renato Balestra’s designs include haute couture and ready-to-wear collections, menswear and fashion accessories. Renato has created costumes for prestigious clients such as Empress Farah Diba, the Queen of Thailand, the princesses of Saudi Arabia, the first ladies of the Philippines and Egypt, as well as many celebrities and actresses.
He has designed costumes for various theaters and operas, including the costume for the famous Rossini musical Cinderella in 2008 for the Belgrade Opera House. Renato has also been involved in the television business, participating in several Italian TV shows. In Beijing, he was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of the Academy of Fashion.
Renato Balestra’s first fragrance was launched in 1978 under the name Balestra. The fragrance was created in collaboration with Industrie Cosmetiche Riunite. A new interpretation of the original was released in 1991 in collaboration with Weruska & Joel.
The oldest Renato Balestra release was created in 1978, and the most recent in 2015. Renato Balestra fragrances were created in collaboration with perfumers Maurizio Cerizza, Alberto Morillas and Bertrand Duchaufour.