Renato Balestra

Renato Balestra was born in Italy around 1928-1930. He came from a sophisticated family of architects and engineers. He took painting and music lessons, and was intending an engineering career. However, as a hobby, he designed dresses and in 1950 one of his friends secretly sent some of his sketches to a designer in Milan. They proved to be interesting and he was invited to join a salon, so he moved to Milan. He spent some time designing for the theatre and films.

Giovanni Battista Giorgini, from Florence, was employed by American department stores to select and purchase Italian-made garments. He organized fashion shows to show the creations of Italian couturiers (many of whom were aristocrats). In 1951 the important American buyers came to Florence and saw the work of Fabiani, Schuberth, Fontana sisters and others.

This is one of the reasons that Italian fashion became so popular with Hollywood celebrities and other socialites after World War II.