Renato Balestra Obituary

Renato Balestra was an Italian fashion designer and the founder of the Balestra brand and company.

Born into a family of architects and engineers, he was known as the “painter of fashion” for his artistic spirit.

His fashion career began almost by chance, when friends sent one of his sketches to the Italian Fashion Center (Centro Italiano della Moda, CMI): immediately recognized for his talent, he was invited to participate in a Haute Couture show.

By 1953, he had achieved such success that he dropped out of engineering school to complete his apprenticeship at Jole Veneziani’s atelier.

By the 1970s, he was well-known for his signature “Embroidery Painting,” which was based on the use of unique materials and actual painting on fabrics of all kinds.

Through innovation and freedom of expression, his mastery of transparencies spoke to modern, strong, and sensual women.

Renato Balestra has received numerous honors throughout his career, including being named Honorary Professor of the Beijing Fashion Academy, Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in 2009, and International Couturier Extraordinaire by the Asian Couture Federation in Singapore.

Renato Balestra died on Saturday, 26 November 2022, at the age of 98 in Rome. On Tuesday, 29 November 2022 a funeral service will be held in the Italian capital.,