Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga got his start in fashion at the young age of thirteen, when he charmed the Marquise of Casa Torres with a compliment on her elegance. The Marquise encouraged Cristobal to design a dress for her, and the rest is history. Cristobal Balenciaga traveled to Paris and encouraged his already burgeoning talent by exposing himself to the then popular design houses of the early 20th century; Doucet, Worth and Drecoll.