Two-piece dress; skirt and blouse of printed silk, designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga, Paris, February 1960

Skirt and blouse of peacock blue silk printed with an all over pattern of black calligraphic style stars. The skirt is lined with blue silk crêpe and the blouse is lined with blue silk chiffon.

Bequeathed by Mrs Fern Bedaux

This would have been either a formal day, or more probably, an informal evening outfit.

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.

An ensemble of the same textile (in a different colour) is held at the Cristobal Balenciaga Museum (Foundation) in Getaria, Spain.

Date attributed by Madame Jouve, former Balenciaga archivist

T.760&A-1972