Cristóbal Balenciaga liked more than anything to work with lace, black, red, and white as references to the art and culture of his Spanish homeland. Influenced by Goya and Zuloaga paintings, fascinated by the attire of Spanish religious figures, Balenciaga also turned to Asia to dress up iconic women of his time. Miren Arzallus in...
In 1895, Cristóbal Balenciaga was born in the Southern Basque Country. Soon, this young man would develop a fascination for the structure of clothing from his couturier mother. The year was 1910, and fashions were then dictated by Elsa Schiaparelli, Madeleine Vionnet, and Gabrielle Chanel. Cristóbal Balenciaga was an autodidact and learned the mechanisms of...
Big travelers knew that Louis Vuitton had the power to create a unique object to accompany them on their adventures. In 1905, the brand created a trunk-bed for Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza’s expedition into the Congo; in 1962, it was a teacase for the Maharajah of Baroda, while in 1939, a trunk-desk was made for...
During his lifetime, Cristóbal Balenciaga was often understood as a couturier who had made clothing his religion. While he spent his youth dissecting the composition and construction of Vionnet, Chanel, or Schiaparelli pieces, Balenciaga was first and foremost inspired by the culture of his homeland. In early 20th century Spain, it wouldn’t have been difficult...
All of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s originality resides in his way of observing the body, clothing, and cuts. An architect at heart, this autodidact was able to develop a singular vision of couture. A visionary, Balencaiga went against the tide of fashion in his day, and couturiers of his generation recognized this talent. Christian Dior spoke of...
The Tod’s Fall/Winter 2017 collection shines with rare simplicity. With the new #TodsStory, this campaign is offering a seductive game. The idea: a writer, played by Derek Blasberg, is attempting to transcribe the essence of a woman on paper. At the same time, the elegant Andreea Diaconu incarnates the secret of the Tod’s woman’s allure....
Cristóbal Balenciaga’s work with couture marks such rare exigence and rigor that his look wouldn’t take long to go down in the books. Upon his arrival in Paris in 1937, the Spanish master introduced the ‘Infante’ collection largely inspired by the flamboyance of pieces from the previous century passed down by paintings from Goya or...
For their new ad campaign, Hogan called on the talent of Sebastian Kim – a photographer who made a name for himself as assistant to Richard Avedon and Steven Meisel. He’s now done an inspiring campaign for Hogan, choosing to honor the newest versions of the brand’s icons in Montmartre with a mysterious but romantic...
This is the secret chromatic field of chic. From his very first collections introduced in Paris, Cristóbal Balenciaga’s creations surprised onlookers with the intense black that perfectly fit his brand new lines. “In the beginning in Paris it wasn’t the cut of his garments that was most noticed but their color, black (…)”. “A deep...
The use of lace in Cristóbal Balenciaga’s majestic work was honored with a 2015 retrospective at the Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode in Calais, France. The “magician of lace” that Balenciaga was never ceased to experiment with the preciousness, delicateness, and charm of this material in his visionary fashion. Like a number...
