Balenciaga was my religion. Since I'm a believer, for me, there's

"Balenciaga was my religion. Since I'm a believer, for me, there's Balenciaga, and the good Lord." – Hubert de Givenchy.

In these evocative words, Hubert de Givenchy speaks not only to his love for fashion but to the profound reverence he had for the craft of design. For Givenchy, Balenciaga was not just a brand, a label, or a house—it was a sacred pursuit, akin to a religion that shaped and defined his life. In this context, Balenciaga represented the highest expression of art and creation, and for Givenchy, to create, to design, was a divine calling, much like the devotion to a higher power. His words illuminate the power of passion—the idea that some pursuits, when embraced fully, become as sacred as any spiritual path.

The ancients often spoke of dedication to one's craft or calling as an expression of the divine. Plato, in his dialogues, emphasized that to live a virtuous life meant to live in accordance with one’s highest purpose, and for some, that purpose might be the pursuit of art or creation. The Greek sculptors and architects who shaped the great temples dedicated their entire being to their craft, seeing it not as mere labor, but as an offering to the gods. The work of art was, in their minds, an act of reverence, a way to channel the divine into the material world. In the same vein, Givenchy's deep connection to Balenciaga was his way of channeling his creative spirit into the world, a practice as sacred as any ritual.

This devotion is not unique to Givenchy alone. Throughout history, many great artists and designers have devoted their lives to their crafts with the same fervor. Coco Chanel, for example, revolutionized the world of fashion, transforming it into something elegant and timeless. Chanel’s designs were not just about clothing; they were about a new vision of femininity, and she, too, spoke of her work with a sense of sacred dedication. Like Givenchy, Chanel’s fashion was not a mere hobby or business; it was an expression of her soul, a way to bring her personal vision to life, which transcended the boundaries of materiality and touched the divine.

Consider Leonardo da Vinci, the great Renaissance polymath, whose devotion to art was similarly religious in its intensity. Da Vinci viewed his work not simply as a means of earning a living but as a sacred duty, a way of discovering the mysteries of life and the human condition. His paintings, such as the Mona Lisa, became manifestations of the divine, where each brushstroke brought him closer to understanding the mysteries of the universe. In this sense, Da Vinci's craft was his religion, just as Givenchy’s design and Balenciaga represented a holy pursuit. His faith in creation and beauty guided him, just as Givenchy was guided by his devotion to fashion.

For Givenchy, Balenciaga was more than just fashion—it was a way of being, a lens through which he saw the world. His work was not merely about fabric and thread but about the power of creation to shape how people saw themselves and the world. When he says there’s Balenciaga and the good Lord, he evokes the sacredness of both creation and faith. It is not a question of one being superior to the other, but that both—religion and art—are deeply intertwined in his vision of the world. His life was dedicated to his art, which became his form of worship, an offering to the divine, just as religion can be a means of finding meaning and purpose in life.

The lesson here is one of dedication—the belief that when we commit ourselves to a purpose, whether it be art, work, or any other craft, we are engaging in a sacred act. To live with purpose is to elevate the mundane to the level of the divine. Creation, in whatever form it takes, can be an act of devotion and sacrifice, where the artist offers their soul through their work. In Givenchy’s case, Balenciaga was more than a fashion house; it was a sacred journey that allowed him to express the depths of his vision and to inspire others. It reminds us all that when we engage deeply with our passion, when we dedicate ourselves to our calling, we can turn even the simplest acts into something transcendent.

In our own lives, we must ask ourselves: What is our Balenciaga? What is that passion, that pursuit, that allows us to connect with something greater than ourselves? Whether it be art, education, healing, or service, we are all called to engage with life fully, to pour ourselves into what we believe in with the same intensity of faith that Givenchy had for his work. Let us not see our daily tasks as burdens but as opportunities to express the divine through our actions, as a way of worship through what we create, contribute, and give to the world.