Balenciaga and Spain

Its been about a month since my last blog post, but I have a very good reason for that, I got a job! Well, its just a contract job for now, but its with an iconic clothing retailer so that is pretty exciting, and I am happy to be there for as long as the job lasts.  Since I have been absent from the blog for so long I figured it was only right to come back with something epic. 

Yesterday my mom and I went to the "Balenciaga and Spain" exhibit at the deYoung museum in San Francisco. The exhibit was a look at some of the amazing designs of Cristobal Balenciaga as well his Spanish influences. Balenciaga was born (1895), raised and began his fashion career in Spain before moving to Paris to start his fashion house in 1937.

Flyer for the exhibit

I will apologize ahead of time for the lack of quality of my photos (in addition to the fact that there aren't that many) as photography was not technically permitted at the exhibit so I had to take them very covertly on my iPhone. 

Let me just get on my soap box for a minute here, because going to this exhibit was not cheap. $11 admission to the museum, $25 tickets for the exhibit and $12 parking. I am a huge believer that viewing art should be free, or at least inexpensive (five to ten bucks a head maybe? I completely understand that there is a cost involved in operating a museum) . And chances are if you are poor, you are going to be WORKING on the first Tuesday of every month and not going to a museum. With all the money spent on admission to this event, I feel that I should be able to at least take some pictures with my stupid iPhone so I can share these beautiful pieces of fashion art on my blog without having to sneak them. Hopefully the FBI won't be repelling through my windows from my roof drawing their weapons on me a la "Christmas Vacation" for my posting of these pictures. Ok stepping down now.

Here are some of my favorites from the show:

Black crepe evening gown, 1940

Mustard yellow linen day suit, Summer 1950

Black silk taffeta & black lace evening dress, Winter 1951

Among Balenciaga's Spanish influences were traditional regional clothing, Flamenco dancers, Catholic Church garb (nun's habits, preist robes, etc), the Spanish monarchy, art (Diego Velazquez in particular), and matadors/bullfighting. While gaining inspiration from it, he actually hated bullfighting (me too!). The carnation, as represented on this dress, is the national flower of Spain as they are tossed at the feet of the matadors:

White taffeta with red chine carnation print, Summer 1956

Here is the interesting back detail of this dress worn by Ava Gardner. Below it, is a view of the side being worn by a model as well as as a sketch of it:

Pink silk gazar evening gown, Winter 1965

Archive photo of the side of the pink silk gazar evening gown

Archive studio drawing of pink silk gazar evening gown

Love the back of this fuchsia silk shantung and black lace cocktail dress,
Summer 1966

Yellow silk cloque lame cocktail dress, Winter 1967
Did not get the info of that beauty in the background unfortunately...

"That Girl" in the front, evening gown in the back.
Lime green silk gazar, Winter 1967

Ivory silk satin with "crown of thorns" embroidery and rhinestones,
Winter 1959

In the archives I found this illustration done by Bergdorf Goodman in 1939. Bergdorf Goodman was the first American department store to carry Balenciaga. The company documented its orders with illustrations such as this of the ivory silk satin and black silk velvet "Infanta" dress:

The archives also held this studio drawing of the Summer 1958 turquoise evening gown below:

Photo from a postcard

I came home with a bunch of postcards, here are some other images:

Evening ensemble, Winter 1967

Black silk charmeuse romper with pink silk faille bolero,
Winter, 1960

House of Balenciaga studio drawing of evening dress of brown silk gauze,
Summer 1962

Guessing this is from a fashion editorial of some sort,
Winter 1951

During the 30 years Balenciaga worked in Paris, Oscar de la Renta, Andre Courreges, Emanuel Ungaro, and Hubert de Givenchy all worked for him before going on to open their own fashion houses. Balenciaga closed his atelier in 1968, just four years before he passed away in Spain in 1972.

There were so many more beautiful things to see at the show, I wish I could show you more, but you will just have to be sure to go see it by July 4th when the show closes.