Balenciaga banned the press and was revered anyway
Balenciaga is the quiet giant of couture: he shut journalists out of his shows in 1957, held silent presentations with no music or commentary, and gave almost nothing to the press in his lifetime. The rare late exception was Prudence Glynn of The Times, who won three days at his home in 1971. His peers revered him regardless: Dior's full line was that couture is an orchestra, and Balenciaga is its conductor.