Author(s): Lesley Ellis Miller

Fashion

More than four decades after his death, the enigmatic Spanish couturier Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) has become a legendary figure in the history of twentieth-century fashion. His name is a byword for clothes executed to the highest standards and characterized by their sculptural quality, deft manipulation of textiles and dramatic use of colour and texture. His impact on later generations of fashion designers - in couture and on the high street - is now widely recognized, and the house that bears his name has become a global brand. In this revised, updated and expanded edition, pieces from the V&A collections have been carefully selected to provide new cases studies, revealing the master's exacting methods in garment design and some of the wealthy and glamorous clients who patronised his establishment, from Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor to Gloria Guinness and Pauline de Rothschild. Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion offers a thorough examination of the couturier's fashion philosophy, design and business practices, as well as placing him firmly in the context of his time, and concludes with an examination of his lasting legacy.