Elle Australia — May 2017

46

As told to: Laura Collins. Photography: © Catwalking; Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos; Mark Shaw/mptvimages.com; Nick Veasey; Victoria And Albert Museum, London

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

”—˜ĴŽȱ Š‹˜ŸŽȱ ‘Žȱ ”—ŽŽǰȱ ˜ȱ •’ȱ

Š—ȱ‹Š••˜˜—ȱ‘Žȱ‘Ž–ǯȱ˜›ȱ‘Žȱꛜȱ

time, we’re displaying the dress as

Cristóbal Balenciaga originally

meant for it to be seen, with

‘’œȱœŽŒ›Žȱ’Žœȱ”—˜ĴŽǰȱœ˜ȱ‘Žȱœ”’›ȱ

‹Š••˜˜—œȱ ˜ȱ ž••ȱ ŽěŽŒǯȱ Žȱ ‘ŠŸŽȱ

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

BY DEMNA GVASALIA FOR BALENCIAGA,

PARIS, AW16-17 READY-TO-WEAR

In 2015, Demna Gvasalia

took over as creative

director of Balenciaga. He

shares the independent

spirit of the house founder

and cited his 360-degree

approach to looking at the

‹˜¢ȱ Šœȱ Šȱ ”Ž¢ȱ ’—ĚžŽ—ŒŽȱ ˜—ȱ

his AW16-17 collection – his

ꛜȱ›ŽŠ¢Ȭ˜Ȭ ŽŠ›ȱŒ˜••ŽŒ’˜—ȱ

for the brand. Here, the cut

of this statement suit jacket

subverts classic tailoring,

making the body appear as if

it’s striding forward.

THE SHAPE

OF THINGS

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

Cristóbal Balenciaga at work

PARIS, 1968

I love this behind-the-scenes

image showing an industrious

Balenciaga at work in his studio.

He’s pictured making alterations

himself – an unusual level of

involvement for a couturier to have

• to a prototype garment on the
  model who will show the piece.
  André Courrèges, who trained
  with Balenciaga in the ’50s and
  ’60s, described his workrooms as
  “pure white, unornamented and
  intensely silent”. It would have
  ‹ŽŽ—ȱŠ–Š£’—ȱ˜ȱ‹ŽȱŠȱĚ¢ȱ˜—ȱ‘Žȱ Š••ǯȱ

CAPTION

Crepe de Chine, lace and satin baby-doll cocktail dress

BY CRISTÓBAL BALENCIAGA, PARIS, 1958

In the ’50s and ’60s, Balenciaga introduced revolutionary shapes –

the tunic, sack, shift and baby-doll dresses – which remain style

staples. Designer Molly Goddard has reimagined the baby-doll

shape. We’re showing her work, and that of other contemporary

Žœ’—Ž›œǰȱ˜ȱ›ŠŒŽȱŠ•Ž—Œ’ŠŠȂœȱ’—ĚžŽ—ŒŽȱ˜—ȱŠœ‘’˜—ȱž™ȱž—’•ȱ˜Š¢ǯȱ‰

Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion opens May 27; vam.ac.uk

A MODEL WEARING

BALENCIAGA IN PARIS, 1954

ELLE AUSTRALIA

SEE