London’s Victoria and Albert Museum has just opened the doors to its Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibition. Curator Cassie Davies-Strodder tells alice franklin what’s in store
THAT COUTURE DESIGNER Cristóbal Balenciaga is the subject of a new exhibition to be housed at London institution the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is no surprise. Known by his contemporaries as nothing short of a genius – “he is the master of us all” Christian Dior once famously said – Balenciaga guided the hands of fashion’s greats, counting Hubert de Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta and Emanuel Ungaro as his protégés. With such an early start in the world of pattern cutting (the Spanish-born designer accompanied his seamstress mother for fittings with her clients and took on tailoring apprenticeships aged just 12) perhaps it was to be expected that he would transcend trends, and instead dictate them. Balenciaga transformed the notion of style through the 1930s and beyond, with his influence still being felt today, and yet, the man himself remains largely unknown.
The V&A’s showcase of Balenciaga’s talents – which opened at the end of May and is due to run until February 2018 – aims to rectify that. The sell-out success of the 2015 Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty retrospective (originally staged at The Met’s Costume Institute in New York) proved the power of fashion icons in drawing crowds, and no doubt it’s hoped the inimitable Cristóbal Balenciaga will attract similar attention. It’s unlikely those at the top have cause to worry. The V&A’s curator of 20th and 21st century fashion, Cassie Davies-Strodder, tells us why now is the right time to remember a legend and how his remarkable talent continues to be felt 45 years after his death.
BALENCIAGA: SHAPING FASHION. HOW DID THE IDEA COME ABOUT?
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