History, Class

A flamenco inspired evening dress, 1951

Balenciaga evening ensemble with toreador bolero, 1946

Balenciaga evening dress and stole, 1952

Last week, at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in New York, the exhibition “Balenciaga: Spanish Master" opened in Park Avenue.
One of the honorary attendees was the Queen of Spain, and her attendance was monumental for this occasion because of how significant Spain/Spanish culture was is Balenciaga's work.

The exhibition is presented on two floors, giving a separate view to clothes inspired by the Catholic church, like a crimson coat and a severe black evening dress (1939) that must have been based on a priest’s cassock, and another view to more festive garments influenced by flamenco and the bullring. On both floors are examples of Balenciaga’s stunningly simple dresses and suits, like a dress in beige wool jersey with the front buttons set diagonally to follow the grain of the fabric, and a black silk crepe suit that Mr. Bowles insisted “looked like nothing” on a hanger.

Balenciaga, who did all the fittings himself for his collections — which in the early years numbered as many as 250 outfits — never gave an interview during his career. As he told a British journalist after he had retired, he just couldn’t explain what he did, so he thought it was pointless to give press interviews. The clothes, however, speak volumes — with many asides that Mr. Bowles has helpfully interpreted.
Standing before a ravishing silk faille dress in a deliberately blurry print of red carnations on a pale taupe background, Mr. Bowles said, “It reminds me of a bullring on a hot, hazy day with the carnations scattered in the dust.”

Furthermore, the exhibition focuses on dresses and paintings, designed and created by Christobel Balenciaga throughout the duration of his career. This amalgamation of creativity, history and education puts art and fashion on the same platform. Some of the pieces on display came from the Balenciaga archives, while others are on loan from prestigious private collections, including the one belonging to Hamish Bowles, who wrote the texts for the exhibition.

sources: http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/balenciaga-exhibition-opening-on-park-avenue/
             http://www.vogue.it/en/magazine/daily-news/2010/11/balenciaga-exhibition-new-york