Balenciaga and Spain

This unprecedented volume considers the profound and enduring impact of Spain's history, art, and culture - on one of the greatest designers of the twentieth century, the legendary Cristobal Balenciaga. Hailed as "fashion's Picasso" by Cecil Beaton, Balenciaga created a revolutionary oeuvre that transformed the way women dressed. From the opening of his Paris fashion home in 1937 until his retirement in 1968, his visionary, ever-evolving designs and impeccable tailoring seduced generations of the most fashionable women in the world, including Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, the Duchess of Windsor, Gloria Guinness, Pauline de Rothschild, Mona Bismarck, Princess Grace of Monaco, Dons Duke, and Diana Vreeland.
Published on the occasion of a major exhibition at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, this book traces the deep influence of the Spanish masters-from Zurbarân, Velâzquez, and Goya to Picasso and Miro-on the protean Balenciaga's designs. It also investigates the legacy of his native Spain's religious dress and ceremony, its lavish royal court, the tradition of flamenco dance, the drama of the bullfight, and the distinctive costumes of the country's diverse regions.
Featuring never-before-published photographs by renowned artiste such as Richard Avedon and Irving Penn as well as remarkable documentary images from the archives of the home of Balenciaga, this illuminating and lavishly illustrated volume is a must-have for art and fashion connoisseurs.