The hype that surrounds the fashion house of Balenciaga today is mirrored in an illustrious past that has shaped the fashion industry’s upper echelon to a great extent. The Kunstmuseum in The Hague currently hosts Balenciaga in Black, an exhibition which specifically focuses on legendary fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga‘s creations in black. Interestingly, for the designer black was the ideal colour to display his artistry. Balenciaga’s use of black can also be traced back to his love of his Spanish heritage. From Catholic piety and traditional Spanish costume to the restrained black embroidery favoured by Spain’s ruling Habsburg dynasty and its court, black has had a long history in the country and a deep connection with Spanish identity.
Without the distraction of colour, the first thing one notices about a Balenciaga piece in black, whether it’s a tailored suit, evening gown or a voluminous baby doll dress, is its complex sculptural design. A second glance reveals the rich, often contrasting textures and exquisite details. The play of light on Balenciaga’s black beautifully highlights the fabric. Gazal, black lace, embroidery, velvet, draped silk or shimmering sequins—each couture piece is magnificently executed. Balenciaga even made his prototypes in black, in stark contrast with the unbleached cotton which most couturiers used at the time. The exhibition presents over 100 masterpieces from the collections of both Palais Galliera and Maison Balenciaga, highlighting the iconic couturier’s intricate exploration of black (on through Mar 5).
Kunstmuseum
Stadhouderslaan 41 (Statenkwartier)
2517HV The Hague
Telephone: +31 70 3381111
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
