Atlanta exhibition sheds new light on Cristóbal Balenciaga’s architectural haute couture

‘Architectural’ is a word that defines the work of Cristóbal Balenciaga. A master of haute couture, his elegantly precise and determinedly sculptural silhouettes provided him unparalleled fame in the middle of the 20th century, and his legacy has endured throughout the decades. Today, under the creative direction of Demna, the house of Balenciaga explores the cutting-edge and the sensational through fashion. The brand is synonymous with moody, blockbuster runway shows, with clothes that alchemise subcultural influences, all while celebrating the codes established by its founder.

A new exhibition, ‘Cristóbal Balenciaga: Master of Tailoring’ at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta, Georgia travels back to the house’s roots, when a 22-year-old Cristóbal Balenciaga established his name in Saint Sebastian in the Basque region of Spain. ‘He was a perfectionist since day one,’ the museum’s creative director Rafael Gomestells tells Wallpaper*. ‘Cristóbal had an eye for the detail, even as a child when he made clothes with four little arms for his dog and later as a teenager to his town’s Marquesa de Casa Torres.’ The repertory on view shows his talent in full fruition, with garments created between 1942 and 1968 when he closed his house. A few pieces out of 30 dresses, tailored suits, and coats appear to the public eye for the first time, complemented by runway footage, the couturier’s sketches, and correspondences with his business partner sister and clients.

‘Cristóbal Balenciaga: Master of Tailoring’ at SCAD FASH Museum

The neatly organised exhibition replicates the interior of the Balenciaga archives and salon in Paris, with muted sandstone tones and a panelled backdrop. Two alumni from SCAD School of Fashion readjusted the garments originally tailored for clients’ physiques to typical mannequin sizes. The undertaking is a collaboration between the museum, the Balenciaga archives and Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, which today holds around 600 Balenciaga garments, while the Miami-based Parodi Costume Collection has also contributed a number of objects to the exhibition. As such, the exhibition is curated by Gaël Mamine, head of collections of Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, Gaspard de Massé, head of archives at Balenciaga, and Gonzalo Parodi, director of Parodi Costume Collection. The organisers aim to shed light on the foundations of the wildly popular brand and emphasize the craft and perfectionism that established the founder as a fashion loyalty.

From a 1964-dated silk tunic worn by Elizabeth Taylor to silk and organza gowns crafted for European nobility, the clothes are imbued with both a mood of experimentation – particularly in cut and silhouette – and timelessness. ‘He designed [clothing] to be worn for a lifetime,’ says Gomes. Balenciaga’s early life, as the show underlines, was shaped by social and political unrest, and his career took unexpected turns along the way. Spain’s neutral stance in World War I led many wealthy French citizens to settle in the bordering town of San Sebastian where they frequented the local designer’s atelier. When Spain was marred by the Civil War in the late 1930s, he found himself in Paris, where the Balenciaga brand reached soaring heights. The immediately ensuing World War II took its toll on the industry but as a Spanish citizen, Balenciaga could travel to his country to acquire garments while his French colleagues struggled to find materials.

Demna’s Balenciaga haute couture shows – which have been walked by the likes of Nicole Kidman, Naomi Campbell, and Isabelle Huppert – are staged in the house’s restored salons at 10 Avenue George V, where Cristóbal Balenciaga famously held three-hour-long shows for eager crowds.

Here, ’Master of Tailoring’ seeks a similar dialogue between the past and future. Holding the show at a university museum – SCAD stands for the Savannah College of Art and Design – with a fashion program contributes to the organisers’ mission to pass down a legacy. ‘I always tell our students that they need to know the past to shape the future,’ says Gomes. ‘Cristóbal was very interested in understanding his clients’ lives,’ the director adds. ‘Seeing some of the pieces first time myself, I am amazed by the construction both outside the dress and for the corsetry inside.’

‘Cristóbal Balenciaga: Master of Tailoring’ runs at the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta, Georgia, until June 2, 2024.

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