Hat

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Artist/Maker	Cristóbal Balenciaga (designer)
Place of origin	Paris (made)

Hat of woven green straw trimmed with a pin that has a bobble on each end. It is unlined and has a hatband with a grosgrain back and green velvet front.

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read Introducing Cristóbal Balenciaga Famed for his exquisite craftmanship and innovative designs, Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga was known as 'The Master' of haute couture. An inspiration to those who follow in his footsteps, his work continues to shape fashion today.

Object details

Categories	Fashion Accessories Hats & Headwear Womenswear
Object type	Hat
Materials and techniques	Woven straw, grosgrain, velvet Straw Weaving
Brief description	Hat of woven straw, designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga, Paris, Spring / Summer 1963
Physical description	Hat of woven green straw trimmed with a pin that has a bobble on each end. It is unlined and has a hatband with a grosgrain back and green velvet front.
Gallery label	(12/05/2017) ‘Balenciaga’s hats are an integral part of his fashion,’ reported the French fashion review Jardin des modes in 1961. They ensure ‘that volumes are balanced and the silhouette is perfectly finished off.’ Fairly conventional ensembles were often paired with a striking hat which lifted the whole look and made it appear more avant-garde. The client could buy the whole ensemble or leave the hat if it was too daring. The designs for hats were as fiercely protected as those for dresses. The police commissioner stamped the official sketches of the hats to protect them from being copied. Green Straw Hat Bali buntal straw Cristóbal Balenciaga, Paris,1963 Bequeathed by Mrs Fern Bedaux V&A: T.755-1972
Credit line	Bequeathed by Mrs Fern Bedaux
Historical context	This object is part of the collection of Mrs Fern Bedaux, given to the museum by Miss E Hanley, the heiress and niece of Mrs Bedaux. Mrs Bedaux purchased her whole wardrobe regularly from Balenciaga and the collection was very large; some was kept by Miss Hanley, some send to the Costume Museum in Bath; and some was received by the V&A. Mrs Bedaux was the very wealthy widow of American millionaire office systems pioneer Charles Bedaux. Mr and Mrs Bedaux lived in the sixteenth century Chateau de Cand in France. The Duke of Windsor was married there after his abdication as King Edward VIII in 1936.
Bibliographic reference	Hommage à Balenciaga. Lyon : Musée Historique des Tissus, 1985
Collection	Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number	T.755-1972

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Record created	February 14, 2005
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109270/hat-cristóbal-balenciaga/

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