London fashion exhibition well worth a visit

A couple of weeks ago I finally got round to visiting the Balenciaga Exhibition at the V&A Museum in London. It is magnificent. It transports you back to a time when clothes were truly elegant. It is on until 18th February 2018. If you are visiting London before then you really must go if you can. Tickets available here.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Balenciaga is a Spanish luxury fashion house founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga, He was born in the Basque Country, Spain. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards. His bubble skirts and feminine, yet ultra-modern shapes were trademarks of the house.

Balenciaga’s evening dresses were renowned for their glamour and luxury.

An age when women dressed with style and elegance for society balls.

In 1955 Balenciaga designed the tunic dress, which later developed into the chemise dress of 1958. Other contributions in the postwar era included the spherical balloon jacket, the high-waisted baby doll dress, the cocoon coat, the balloon skirt, and the sack dress. In 1959, his work culminated in the Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats cut like kimonos. His manipulation of the waist, in particular, contributed to “what is considered to be his most important contribution to the world of fashion: a new silhouette for women. You can see Balenciaga’s influence in todays fashion.

I do hope you get the chance to visit this magical exhibition before it closes. If you do let me know what you think.

Chicatanyage

I write a fashion and beauty blog for women over 50 with the aim of inspiring mature women to continue to enjoy and have fun with their fashion choices. I have spent most of my working life in some way connected to fashion. I started my career in Fashion PR and then trained as an Image Consultant when my children were young. I subsequently worked in the corporate world running seminars, doing private coaching and speaking at conferences. I started my blog in 2009 as I wanted to share my years of experience working in the world of fashion. I truly believe we can continue to have confidence in the way we present ourselves. Our style may evolve with time and changing lifestyles, yet with a little knowledge and inspiration, we can all continue to have fun with fashion. As women of a certain age we are a growing demographic let us prove that we can also be a chic one.

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View Comments

Mary says:

13th October 2017 at 13:56

Happily, I will be in London in January. This exhibition is at the top of my to-go list.
- Chicatanyage says:
  
  13th October 2017 at 15:13
  
  Hi Mary
  I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. I am sure you will.
Frances says:

13th October 2017 at 15:11

I saw it last month. It is well worth seeing. I got a ticket and was able to get in right away. The permanent exhibition in the fashion area is also very interesting.
- Chicatanyage says:
  
  13th October 2017 at 15:13
  
  I agree Frances. I intend to go back and have a closer look at the permanent exhibition when I have more time.
An Eye For Detail says:

13th October 2017 at 20:06

Oh, I wish, I wish! After seeing the St. Laurent exhibition in June, this would have been perfect. Daughter is in London now, but didn't have time to go (did make it to Tate Modern, her favorite!) The tunic dress becoming the chemise: what a difference was made then to women's fashion!
Ann says:

14th October 2017 at 00:47

Rats! I won't be in London during the exhibition. Thanks for the pix and your overview of Balenciaga's contributions. Very nice. Will head to the V&A site and see what more I can learn.