Coat and dress
1958
autumn-winter 1958–59
Medium
silk, (devore, satin), polyester (grosgrain), metal and nylon (fastenings)
Measurements
(a) 118.0 cm (centre back) 38.0 cm (sleeve length) (coat)
(b) 88.0 cm (centre back) 32.0 cm (waist, flat) (dress)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Family through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gift Program, 2025
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Cristóbal Balenciaga learned dressmaking from his mother and established a tailoring business in 1915. He opened his own fashion house in 1922, moving to Paris during the Spanish Civil War to launch his couture house in 1937. Balenciaga quickly earned an international following for his sober daywear and dramatic evening clothes. He refused to compromise on couture, closing his house in 1968 rather than produce ready-to-wear clothes. This work exemplifies his renegotiation of the relationship between garment and body with its innovative cut and construction. Balenciaga created a lexicon of new silhouettes defined by abstraction and soft volume, including the tunic, cocoon, sack and ‘babydoll’ styles.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
France
Inscription
(a) label, right seamline, woven (vertically) in black on white cotton: BALENCIAGA / 10 AVENUE GEORGE V. PARIS
(a) label, right seamline, woven (vertically) in black on white cotton: BALENCIAGA / 10 AVENUE GEORGE V. PARIS
Accession Number
2025.749.a-b
Department
International Fashion and Textiles