Magic couture at Balenciaga

In celebration of the 120th anniversary of the birth of Cristóbal Balenciaga (Getaria, 1895-1972, Javea, Spain), the Museum of Lace and Fashion in Calais presents, until 31st August 2015, a new exhibition dedicated to this great designer. The show is the first of its kind to specifically address the topic of Balenciaga’s lace creations, a theme of considerable importance when we consider the prominent place which lace occupied in the designer’s work throughout his long career. Featuring almost 75 outfits and accessories (hats, gloves, shoes) along with dozens of studio photographs and sketches, this exhibition presents a wide-ranging overview of the oeuvre of the Spanish legend, offering a comprehensive examination of Balenciaga’s relationship with lace.

A co-production by the Museum of Lace and Fashion in Calais / the Cristóbal Balenciaga Foundation, Getaria, Spain. Presented in Calais in 2015 and Getaria in 2016, this exhibition has been made possible by exceptionally generous loans from the Cristóbal Balenciaga Foundation and the Archive Department of Maison Balenciaga, Paris, and with the support of Paris’ Museum of the Decorative Arts, the Palais Galliera, the City of Paris’ museum of fashion, and the Maison Lesage.

Exhibition curator: Catherine Join-Diéterle
Exhibition design / Graphic design: StudioTovar-Alain Batifoulier. With the patronage of Mr. Hubert de Givenchy, this exhibition is the subject of an application for ‘Exhibition of National Significance’ status.

ca. 1951 — Original caption: Woman modeling black lace dress with pink sash copied from Balenciaga, with hat and gloves. — Image by © Condé Nast Archive/Corbis

Foto: Cristóbal Balenciaga dans sa maison de couture à Paris, 1959 © Gyenes / Fonds Gyenes / Biblioteca Nacional de España. Cristóbal Balenciaga, robe et manteau de cocktail en dentelle noire, ceinture corselet rose, 1951 © Henry Clarke/Corbis_Modèle conservé à la Cité de la dentelle et de la mode, Calais