A major exhibition in the U.K. is celebrating the work of Cristobal Balenciaga. It’s at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the country’s top fashion and design museum.
Spanish designer Balenciaga introduced revolutionary shapes to fashion: the tunic, the sack, the baby doll dress, and the shift dress.
The designer was famously press-shy and private, which makes him less well known outside of the fashion industry than his contemporaries, such as Christian Dior.
Born in 1895, Balenciaga took up a tailor’s apprenticeship at the age of 12. His mastery at tailoring quickly gained him the patronage of rich clients and he produced clothing for Spain’s royal family.
When the Civil War came he left his native Spain and moved to Paris. There, in the 1950s and ’60s, he would go on to produce his most famous creations.
The exhibition brings together over 100 garments, many of which have never been on public display before.
Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion runs from May 27 – February 18, 2018.
