January 17, 2011

BALENCIAGA exhibition comes to San Francisco

Balenciaga and Spain opens March 26 at the de Young Museum and will surely be an important and sensational exhibit for San Francisco. Interesting to me is that Cristobal Balenciaga's hallmark was kindness and extreme courtesy. He was a Spaniard whose work was enormously influenced by his country even after he moved to France. Balenciaga arrived in Paris in 1937 and was soon revolutionizing fashion. His business soared in the war years. Even with Dior's entrance in 1947, neither Balenciaga's popularity nor fame dimmed. Christian Dior liked to call Balenciaga 'the master of us all'. His collections were praised for their overwhelming sense of luxury and beauty.

The exhibition, curated by Hamish Bowles, will be presented in six groups: Spanish Art, Dance, Bullfighting, Religious Life, The Spanish Court and Religious Dress.

On March 24, a fundraising gala will be held to celebrate the opening of the exhibition with the curator Hamish Bowles, European editor at large for Vogue. The gala will attract glitterati of the national and international fashion worlds paying tribute to the great master couturier.

Photos courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.


3 Comments


  1. peggy braswell says:

    loved this post!xx peggybraswelldesign

    January 19, 2011 at 8:53 AM

  2. Megan Papay

    Would die to go to the Gala! Can't wait to see the exhibit. I have been obsessed with Rioja lately and everything Spanish for that matter. Serendipity.

    January 19, 2011 at 10:21 AM

  3. Beth Lemke says:

    Thanks, as always, for the insight, Marcy!
    Note: Artpoint, the young professionals auxiliary of FAMSF, will host a gala Balcianga party, "Balcianga and Spain," March 26. For more info see wwww.artpoint.org.

    January 19, 2011 at 12:18 PM

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