Coat
1955 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Balenciaga was the most exclusive fashion house in Paris immediately after World War II. The Spanish-born couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972), regarded by his peers as ‘the Master’, had moved to Paris from Spain in 1937. By 1952 he had 232 employees there and was producing 356 new designs per year. His clients, admitted to his salon only after a personal introduction, included many cosmopolitan women of different nationalities.
Balenciaga was a perfectionist in cutting, sewing and finishing garments, and was renowned for his exacting standards. Plain fabrics show up defects in any aspect of dressmaking so this coat reveals his craftsmanship. It reveals his skill in paring down his design into an elegant pea-green organdie 'duster' coat which is almost timeless in line (worn here over T.126-1982). Organdie is a semi-transparent fabric, usually made from cotton, and firm in handle.
Balenciaga was a perfectionist in cutting, sewing and finishing garments, and was renowned for his exacting standards. Plain fabrics show up defects in any aspect of dressmaking so this coat reveals his craftsmanship. It reveals his skill in paring down his design into an elegant pea-green organdie 'duster' coat which is almost timeless in line (worn here over T.126-1982). Organdie is a semi-transparent fabric, usually made from cotton, and firm in handle.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Plain woven cotton |
| Brief description | Evening 'duster' coat of cotton organdie, designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga, Paris, 1955 |
| Physical description | Evening 'duster' coat of pea-green organdie plain woven cotton. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Miss Sophie Satin |
| Object history | This coat was designed for Mrs Alexandra Verderevsky who lived in Paris and was a personal friend of Cristóbal Balenciaga. |
| Summary | Balenciaga was the most exclusive fashion house in Paris immediately after World War II. The Spanish-born couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972), regarded by his peers as ‘the Master’, had moved to Paris from Spain in 1937. By 1952 he had 232 employees there and was producing 356 new designs per year. His clients, admitted to his salon only after a personal introduction, included many cosmopolitan women of different nationalities. Balenciaga was a perfectionist in cutting, sewing and finishing garments, and was renowned for his exacting standards. Plain fabrics show up defects in any aspect of dressmaking so this coat reveals his craftsmanship. It reveals his skill in paring down his design into an elegant pea-green organdie 'duster' coat which is almost timeless in line (worn here over T.126-1982). Organdie is a semi-transparent fabric, usually made from cotton, and firm in handle. |
| Other number | 59000 - Number on label |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.230-1984 |
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| Record created | December 5, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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