On Tuesday, I finally made it to ‘Balenciaga and Spain’ exhibit at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, on a field trip with work.  I adored the exhibit, I really couldn’t get enough. I found myself just standing there and staring at his work, in awe. I actually didn’t know that much about Mr. Balenciaga and loved learning about his life and work. This specific exhibit was concentrated on the fashion he created in the late 50s and early 60s, which was really fun to see. Cue adorable 3 piece suits with long line pencil skirts and cropped jackets as well as empire waisted gowns. And of course there was the Spain effect: nods to Flamenco dancers’ flouncy and flower adorned costumes and Bullfighter beaded boleros and capes. I was in awe of the silks he used: Shantung, Raw, Douppioni, Crepe – I had never seen these so lush and up close and personal. And then there was the embroidery and beading, done meticulously by hand by the best couture house in Europe. Incredible. It seems like clothes are just not made the same these days. A fun fact I learned is that Cristóbal Balenciaga actually invented the Pill Box hat, made famous by Jackie Kennedy. He was a devout Spanish Catholic and the pill box was inspired by the Cardinal hat.

Technically, photos were not allowed in the exhibit, but I snuck a few pics to share with you here. Please excuse the blurry quality, I was trying to be fast and stealth!

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