Born in Spain, Balenciaga moved to Paris to set up a successful business as a couturier in 1937 in the heart of the Golden Triangle (the centre of the production and consumption of luxury goods). By the time he designed this cape in 1963 he had been considered the master of couture for some years, renowned for his innovative cut, his consummate skill in design, and his perfectionism.

Balenciaga collaborated with textile manufacturers in the development of new fabrics. Gazar was the result of his working relationship with the Swiss textile manufacturer Abraham. It is made of silk and has good body, thus lending itself to sculptural designs.

Gloria Guinness (née Rubio y Alatorre) had this cape made. She was a regular patron of Balenciaga's establishment in Paris. An elegant socialite and writer of the mid-20th century, she married three times, her final husband being Group Captain Thomas Loel Guinness MP, heir to the Guinness beer fortune.