Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion
How could I take a trip to the capital city without checking out the wonderful and much talked about Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibition that is currently taking place at the Victoria and Albert Museum? I couldn’t and neither should you. The reason for this is that the entire of the bottom floor is dedicated to the Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) and an archive of videos and clothing. But what I found most interesting and impressive were the X-Ray photos of his work that are beautifully displayed behind the glass alongside the original dress; animating and bringing the dresses to life. Beneath the dresses we can see the hooping, boning and dress weights that prove couture construction was not as simple as it may seem from the outside. A video on the X-Ray images and how they were photographed has been linked below.
Balenciaga's influence is undisputed. And it's easy to see why. Downstairs, you can see how his Sack dress, Silk Taffeta evening dress and evening cape and gown had such an effect on other designers such as Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons. And it's not just the look of his clothes that was so influential. Videos are played alongside garments, demonstrating the complex process of how Balenciaga would often create the top part of his dresses using only one piece of material, requiring little stitching or hemming on the garment.
“With Balenciaga the most beautiful things that were produced were the things that were the most simple and sublime”
- Gareth Pugh
The redifining of the silhouette is particularly inspiring when it comes to femininity as distorting the figure using these garments, such as the sack dress, completely goes against what is seen as being 'normal' for how a woman's figure should look. Feminism is much talked about in today's society and to be able to express it through these unique and beautiful designs, in a time where feminism was still becoming recognised, is truly amazing.
Once again, I would strongly suggest that you go and visit this fantastic and inspiring exhibition if you have any interest in fashion, the designer himself, or even the way that fashion can be used to change the shape of the body. It is definitely a must see if you find yourself in London this season. You can find the Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum up until the 18th of February 2018.
