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Coat

August 1961 (made)
Artist/Maker
Lesage (embroiderers)
Cristóbal Balenciaga (designer)
Place of origin
Paris (made)

Coat of pink faille embroidered with melanex, crystal beads, chenille and silk thread, and lined with pink silk. It is knee length, fitted at the waist, with a high round neck and elbow length sleeves. It has a centre front fastening with two covered buttons.

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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
Clothing
Embroidery
Plastic
Object type
Coat
Materials and techniques
Faille embroidered with melanex, crystal beads, chenille and silk thread, and lined with silk
Melanex
Chenille
Beads
Silk (Textile)
Weaving
Beading
Applique
Brief description
Pink faille coat embroidered with plastic discs, rhinestones and chenille and silk thread designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga and embroidered by Lesage, Paris, August 1961.
Physical description
Coat of pink faille embroidered with melanex, crystal beads, chenille and silk thread, and lined with pink silk. It is knee length, fitted at the waist, with a high round neck and elbow length sleeves. It has a centre front fastening with two covered buttons.
Production typeHaute couture
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Balenciaga, 10 Avenue George V, Paris' (Label, machine woven black on white, inside the back collar)
  • '83462' (Hand-written on back of label)
Gallery label
(27/05/2017-07/02/2018)
MODERNITY WITH TRADITION
Founded in the 1920s, the French firm Lesage was known for its virtuoso embroidery. Like Balenciaga, François Lesage, who ran the house in the 1950s and 60s, wanted to introduce unusual materials into couture. These samples include designs made in plastic by Paco Rabanne. They are marked with Balenciaga’s name to ensure they were kept exclusively for his use on garments such as this coat.

Coat
Silk, with decorations by Paco Rabanne and embroidery by Lesage
Cristóbal Balenciaga, Paris, 1961
Given by Mrs Loel Guinness
V&A: T.24-1974
Credit line
Given by Mrs Loel Guinness
Object history
Worn and given by Gloria Guinness

Historical significance: First use of plastic in association with Paco Rabanne
Historical context
Gloria Guinness (nee Gloria Rubio y Alatorre, 1912-1980) was an elegant socialite and writer of the mid 20th century.

Her third husband, whom she married in 1951, was Group Capt. Thomas Loel Guinness, a Member of Parliament (died 1989) and an heir to the Guinness beer fortune.

She was voted 'Best Dressed Woman' in the world by Time magazine in 1962 behind Jackie Kennedy in first place. (See Time magazine Jan 26 1962)

She owned seven homes, with a full wardrobe in each so that she would never have to pack or wait at customs. She spread her patronage widely, and amongst donations to the V&A of pieces by Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy etc., are pieces by lesser known couturiers such as Chaumont and Lafaurie.
Associations
Beaton, Cecil
Rabanne, Paco
Bibliographic reference
Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton. London : H.M.S.O., 1971 no. 15
Other number
99 - Model number
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.24-1974

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Record createdFebruary 21, 2005
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109487/coat-cristóbal-balenciaga/
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