Disney+ unveils ‘Balenciaga’ as first Spanish scripted original

Disney+ is doubling down on fashion-focused dramas, with its first Spanish scripted original exploring the life of iconic fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga.

The 6 x 50-minute limited series Balenciaga (working title) will explore the story of the famed Spanish designer, who dared to defy his social status as the son of a seamstress and a fisherman.

Using his natural talent, constant work and sharp nose for business, Balenciaga goes on to become one of the most prominent fashion designers of all time.

Created by Lourdes Iglesias, Jose Mari Goenaga, Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi, the series is described as a story about “the search for identity while overcoming adversity and defying social conventions throughout changing times.”

The commission marks the first Spanish series in the Mouse House’s commitment to producing a slate of 60 original series in EMEA by 2024. Balenciaga will take the current number of greenlit titles to 21 and comes just a month after the streamer unveiled details of Kaiser Karl, a new drama from French prodco Gaumont that will explore the life of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Last month, Disney+ hired former Fox Networks Group exec Evert van der Veer to oversee programming in the region, while Jan Koeppen, Disney’s EMEA president, has previously spoken about how the entertainment giant is “putting the afterburners” on its European production efforts and is now “far more focused and far more invested” in telling stories from the region.

Previously announced shows on the EMEA slate also include Nautilus from UK prodcos Moonriver TV and Seven Stories, and Sultan City, a German series from Two Moons Pictures.