Balenciaga : Shaping Fashion

Last weekend I visited the Balenciaga exhibition at the V&A museum. The exhibition itself was split into two parts. The ground floor was all about Balenciaga and his work whilst the upper floor is about his legacy. This is the first exhibition that I've ever been to and I found it to be quite insightful, interesting and rather inspiring.

Before you enter the actual exhibition itself, there is a large display that takes you on a tour through the history of fashion starting with Court & Country in 1750 all the way up to modern day fashion. When you enter the exhibition, there is a a display about Cristobal Balenciaga and his life leading up to becoming one of the most famous designers to exist. There is a quote on the wall from Christian Dior who says, "Haute couture is like an orchestra whose conductor is Balenciaga. We other couturiers are the musicians and we follow the direction he gives.”

The next section of the exhibition is all about the making of Balenciaga's garments. The making of these garments is shown through various different media: x-rays of the designs, virtual displays of the garments and description plaques to name a few. One of the best techniques however is the animated videos that show how Balenciaga's 2D patterns transform into beautiful 3D garments. The different displays allow practically anyone to learn how Balenciaga's mind worked and how he designed and crafted his garments. This part of the exhibition is wonderful for anyone who is interested in the technical elements of design and dress-making. 

The upper floor was just a display of various designers' work with the work split into different sections such as Perfection and Minimalism. The different displays contained a little description about how Balenciaga influenced these specific elements in design. 

Overall this exhibition is brilliant for anyone who is interested in fashion and the technical specifics of designing and dress-making, although it is highly recommendable for all.