Balenciaga in Black
In a world saturated in colors, an exhibit founded on the absence of color and showing the details of the meticulous Balenciaga construction was captivating. The visuals of draping to sketch to final concept was something to be seen & experience. Balenciaga saw a dress form as a canvas and would manipulate and adjust the three-dimensional "sketch."
When draping, most would construct, and still do, out of muslin. Balenciaga would use black fabric; everything from percale to twill to even a stiff tartan in order to see a clearer image of what the final product would look like. He would mark the fabric with chalk lines & colored thread that would allow him to see the canvas more clearly. He would map out his draped pattern, which ended up preserving his designs for the future to see his methods & couturier abilities.
When walking through the exhibit, you never really saw the same type of fabric twice; even one lace differed from the next. There were details in everything that Balenciaga created. He would use fabrics that had detail or would construct the garment with details like folds, bows or loops. The ability of creating something with volume but still having the feminine figure in mind was inspiring. The journey that the exhibit walked you through showed the classic to the ahead of his time designs. The final chapter of the exhibit showed that colors would be mixed in; pale pink was the color of choice.
There would be opportunities for Balenciaga to introduce color into the black canvas that was his staple. For some designers, adding something in, like color, could compromise the movement and direction of the garment. Balenciaga didn't have that problem. There were beads, feathers & fur that was all added into the design. Achieving movement, creating timeless design, and creating a personal & innovated process that has withstood the decades after his passing. The influence on current design houses & even the ability to inspire those of us that aspire to design to his caliber someday is prevalent and evident.
When draping, most would construct, and still do, out of muslin. Balenciaga would use black fabric; everything from percale to twill to even a stiff tartan in order to see a clearer image of what the final product would look like. He would mark the fabric with chalk lines & colored thread that would allow him to see the canvas more clearly. He would map out his draped pattern, which ended up preserving his designs for the future to see his methods & couturier abilities.
When walking through the exhibit, you never really saw the same type of fabric twice; even one lace differed from the next. There were details in everything that Balenciaga created. He would use fabrics that had detail or would construct the garment with details like folds, bows or loops. The ability of creating something with volume but still having the feminine figure in mind was inspiring. The journey that the exhibit walked you through showed the classic to the ahead of his time designs. The final chapter of the exhibit showed that colors would be mixed in; pale pink was the color of choice.
There would be opportunities for Balenciaga to introduce color into the black canvas that was his staple. For some designers, adding something in, like color, could compromise the movement and direction of the garment. Balenciaga didn't have that problem. There were beads, feathers & fur that was all added into the design. Achieving movement, creating timeless design, and creating a personal & innovated process that has withstood the decades after his passing. The influence on current design houses & even the ability to inspire those of us that aspire to design to his caliber someday is prevalent and evident.