Cristobal Balenciaga: The Legacy of a Legend
Revolutionising the fashion industry for just over fifty years, Balenciaga altered the fashion silhouette of women in the mid-20th century, and became one of the most influential fashion innovators of all time.“No woman can make herself chic if she is not chic herself.” Balenciaga accentuated the essence of how a woman could embody his garments. He demonstrated how shape and silhouettes could correspond around the physique to exemplify the figure. Similarly to Vionnet, Balenciaga used the technique of wrapping material away from the body, applying volume to his garments whilst at the same time enhancing femininity. He achieved this by revealing certain aspects of the body, such as elongating the neck. Often, he would use one piece of material and cut in only designated areas such as arm-holes or the neckline.
Notorious for incorporating his Spanish roots into his designs, Balenciaga mastered the art of captivating the essence of both culture and chic. The Infanta Gown was inspired by traditions of young Spanish princesses, alongside the cropped Bovero Jacket, inspired by jackets worn by Spanish bullfighters. Balenciaga’s renaissance with volume was expressed through pieces like the Balloon Dress. As one of his most identifiable pieces, it echoes the title by expanding from the body to resemble a balloon shape. The Sack Dress is deceptively flattering. Providing volume from the front of the garment, it gracefully alters the bodily proportion to aesthetically appear thinner. To Balenciaga, arms were essential in terms of emancipation – allowing the Pumpkin and Bracelet Sleeve to both emerge and astound. He would primarily use sombre browns and blacks, yet also Goya Red – inspired by the Spanish painter Goya – brighter colours and monochromic blocks.
To this day, modern designers still worship his legacy. Designers such as Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo seek inspiration through the structure of their garments and interpretation of volume. Nicolas Ghesquiere paid tributes to Balenciaga by featuring the Spanish flamenco in a recent collection, yet with a modern athletic twist. Upholding the house as Creative Director is Alexander Wang who depicts attributes of Balenciaga’s legacy to even so recent as A/W 2013 RTW. The collection includes symbolic adherence to Balenciaga’s profound use of monochrome, voluminous structure and sleeves, and references to the Bovero Jacket. Wang still succeeds in pursuing Balenciaga’s legacy; one Pumpkin sleeve at a time.
