He chose fabrics that were naturally stiff, such as taffeta, velvet and layers of organdie, as they held their shape and complemented the defined forms of his garments, including his famous black ‘Pumpkin or ‘Balloon dress of 1950, his white organdie ‘Flamenco’ dress and his black and white ‘Fishtail’ dress, both designed in 1951 – and later his range of big and tall mens clothing.
While the dominant color for evening wear in the 1950s was black, daytime colors included brownish-red, yellow ochre, turquoise blue and mauve – the colors of his native homeland, Spain. It is significant that they also became the signature colors of the 1950s fashion period, and indicative of the influence that he had over fashion at that time.
Balenciaga’s clothing often referenced both historical and non-European cultural garments, drawing upon past fashion styles. Inspirations included the sixteenth-century farthingale skirts seen in paintings by the Spanish master Diego Velasquez and eighteenth-century flowing coats depicted by the French rococo painter Jean-Antoine
Watteau.
In the early 1950s, Balenciaga’s work reflected an oriental influence with mounted collars and three-quarter ‘kimono’ sleeves. He transformed the silhouette by broadening the shoulders and letting out the seams, thereby removing the waist, making this ’semi-fit’ styling very fashionable. These loose, unfitted garments became, by 1957, the prototype for the kite-shaped ’sack’ dresses made famous by his disciple, Hubert de Givenchy.
Expertly constructed, lavish and profoundly romantic, Balenciaga’s clothing characterizes the best of haute couture. His work is now part of the collection of every major art museum in the world and his fashion house, following his retirement in 1968, became part of the Gucci group with Nicolas Ghesquiere appointed as head designer.
Tags: cristobal balenciaga, fashion styles, gucci group, jean antoine watteau, organdie, signature colors