Renato Balestra

Renato Balestra (born May 3, 1924) is an Italian fashion designer.
Born in Trieste, Renato Balestra comes from a family of architects and engineers. After a childhood steeped in the Mid-European cultural environment of the area, he too began studying for a degree in civil engineering. However, from a very young age, he dedicated much of his time to artistic activities, including both painting and music, and devoted several hours a day to studying the piano.
It was not until the last year of his engineering studies, however, that he became involved in fashion, creating a design in response to a bet made among friends. 
It is fair to say that fashion chose Renato Balestra, rather than Renato Balestra choosing fashion.
Without his knowledge, the result was sent to Milan and, to his great surprise, he was invited by the Italian Fashion Center (Centro Italiano della Moda, CMI) to participate in the creation of an haute couture collection.
Renato Balestra gave up his university studies and completed an apprenticeship under Jole Veneziani in Milan. In 1954 he moved to Rome.
In the capital he was soon considered "the painter" of fashion and began working as a designer for some of the most important fashion houses, such as Emilio Schuberth, Maria Antonelli and the Sorelle Fontana.
In 1958 he opened his own atelier at Via Gregoriana 36 and subsequently Via Sistina 67. Beginning in 1961 his collections were presented on the catwalks in Palazzo Barberini in Rome and in Palazzo Pitti in Florence. In the same period, he spent some months in the United States, between New York and Los Angeles, where he made dresses for Hollywood stars such as Zsa Zsa Gabor, Tina Louise, Joan Bennett, Linda Christian, Natalie Wood and Carrol Baker. At the same time, he promoted his prêt-à-porter line in the major American department stores. He took part in business trips organized by the Italian Foreign Trade Institute (ICE) to promote Italian fashion abroad. 
He presented his collections in a number of countries around the world and enjoyed great success in the Middle East and Far East. He fashioned clothes for Farah Diba, Empress of Persia, for Imelda Marcos, first lady of the Philippines, for Saudi princesses, and Princess Noor bint Asem of Jordan on the occasion of her marriage to Prince Hamzah bin Hussein (2003). In 198, in honor of Queen Sirikit of Thailand, the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok presented the 1985 Spring/Summer collection made entirely in local mudmee silk. 
Renato Balestra designed also the uniforms for the Philippines Airlines (1985), for Alitalia Airlines (1986) and for the managers of the Agip Petroli plants (1988).
He designed the costumes for "Cosi è (se vi pare)" directed by Franco Zeffirelli (1985), for "Fiore di Cactus", directed by Giorgio Albertazzi (1987), for Rossini’s "Cenerentola" at the Belgrade Opera House (1988), For "Der Rosenkavaller" by Strauss at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, marking the opening of the opera season (1999). 
In 1988 he directed his own column within the "Rosa Chic" (Rai 1) TV program and in 2001 and 2002 he participated at the TV show "Chiambretti C’è" (Rai 2), on air for three nights a week.
In 1991 he wrote the book published by the publishing house Rusconi entitled "Alla Ricerca dello Stile Perduto" ("In Search of the Lost Style") that won two literary prizes.
Throughout his career, Renato Balestra has been invited to present his Collections all over the world, with enormous International success. He has also been awarded prestigious prizes in recognition of his talent.
When in Beijing, he had the great honour of being awarded the title of Honorary Professor of the Fashion Academy.
Currently the house of Balestra has its headquarters at Piazza Barberini 12 in Rome.