91.255.1

Images (3)

Dior + Balenciaga, Left to right: 83.159.1 (evening dress in case) and muslin copy, IL2022.3.1 (black silk culottes), 91.255.1 (pale blue dress), 71.213.30 (black dress)

Dior + Balenciaga, Left to right: IL2022.3.1 (black silk culottes), 91.255.1 (pale blue dress), 71.213.30 (black dress)

Object: Cocktail dress

Brand: Balenciaga (French, founded 1937)

Designer: Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895 - 1972)

Date: 1957

Medium: Silk and synthetic lace

Country: France

Credit Line: Gift from The Estate of Tina Chow

Object number: 91.255.1

DescriptionSleeveless cocktail dress in light blue silk lace backed with horsehair; tent style shift with open round neck, deep hem flounce

Label Text:Known as the “architect of fashion,” couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga was a tailor by trade, and he draped, cut, and fit his own muslin patterns. At a time when the fashionable silhouette focused on the hourglass figure, Balenciaga produced such innovations as the sack and the sheath, which stood away from the shape of the body. This is an example of his “baby doll” look from the late 1950s, featuring a fitted underdress with a voluminous overlay of lace.

In Collection(s)

1950s

Exhibitions:

Dior + Balenciaga: The Kings of Couture and Their Legacies