Balenciaga

“We do what we can with fabric — but Balenciaga does anything he wants.” 

—Christian Dior

Cristóbal Balenciaga made his name in Paris in the 1940s and 1950s in the golden age of haute couture. He was hailed by Coco Chanel as “the only true couturier among us,” and his clients included Princess Grace of Monaco and the Duchess of Windsor.

This book is published to mark the inauguration of the Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, Spain, which will house a permanent collection of over one hundred pieces created by this master designer. It features an extraordinary selection of the most representative pieces from the Museum’s collection and includes four essays written by specialists on Balenciaga’s work.

Amalia Descalzo teaches Communication and Management in Fashion at the Centro Universitario Vellanueva. Miren Arzalluz is the curator and head of collections at Fundación Cristóbal Balenciaga. Pierre Arizzoli-Clémentel is the former director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Lourdes Cerrillo is Lecturer in the History of Art at the University of Valladolid. Marie-Andrée Jouve was head of the Balenciaga archives from 1980 to 2003. Lucina Llorente is a specialist in materials and technical textiles.

Cristobal Balenciaga made his name in Paris in the 1940s and 1950s in the golden age of haute couture and was hailed by Coco Chanel as the only true couturier amongst us, able to design, cut, assemble and sew a dress entirely by himself. His clients included Princess Grace of Monaco and the Duchess of Windsor. This book is published to mark the long-awaited inauguration of the Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, Guipuzcoa, Spain, which will house a permanent collection of over 100 pieces created by the master designer. Four introductory articles by Balenciaga experts present new research and analysis of the designers work and assess his legacy, but at the heart of the book is a catalogue of the museums outstanding collection in over 500 wonderful illustrations. This beautiful book will be essential reading for both designers and anyone interested in Balenciaga's life and work.