At the helm of Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia is leading the charge into a brave new world of fashion – but it’s not the first time game changing designs have been dreamt up by a creative director of the iconic French house. As London’s Victoria And Albert Museum gears up for its next blockbuster opening, Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion, curator Cassie Davies-Strodder shares her exhibition highlights
Silk taffeta evening dress
BY CRISTÓBAL BALENCIAGA, PARIS, 1955
While preparing this exquisite evening dress, we found a set of mystery ties in the inside hem. After much research, we discovered the dress was designed to be knotted above the knee, to lift and balloon the hem. For the first time, we’re displaying the dress as Cristóbal Balenciaga originally meant for it to be seen, with his secret ties knotted, so the skirt balloons to full effect. We have X-rayed the dress to reveal the construction details invisible to the naked eye, giving new insight into Balenciaga’s unique approach to design.
Wool and silk skirt suit
This story is from the May 2017 edition of ELLE Australia.
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This story is from the May 2017 edition of ELLE Australia.
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