THE QUEEN SOFIA SPANISH INSTITUTE TO PRESENT EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO BALENCIAGA

THE FIRST IN-DEPTH EXHIBITION OF THE WORK OF CRISTOBAL BALENCIAGA, THE MASTER SPANISH COUTURIER, WHO DOMINATED PARIS HAUTE COUTURE FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES, WILL OPEN AT THE QUEEN SOFIA SPANISH INSTITUTE IN NEW YORK, IN NOVEMBER. THE EXHIBITION WILL BE THE FIRST TO CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF SPAIN'S CULTURE, HISTORY AND ART ON ONE OF ITS GREATEST 20th CENTURY SONS, THE LEGENDARY DESIGNER WHO WAS HAILED AS 'FASHION'S PICASSO' BY CECIL BEATON. BALENCIAGA'S INNOVATIONS, THE ART OF HIS SILHOUETTE, HIS CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH VOLUME AND HIS VIBRANT INSPIRATIONS, TRANSFORMED THE WAY WOMEN DRESSED, FROM THE OPENING OF HIS PARIS FASHION HOUSE IN 1937, UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1968. THE EXHIBITION WILL SHOWCASE OVER 60 ITEMS, INCLUDING MASTERPIECES SUCH AS HIS 1939 'INFANTA' GOWN, THE MATADOR BOLEROS FROM 1946, FLAMENCO-INSPIRED DRESSES FROM 1951 AND 1961, AND THE EXTRAORDINARY, EMBROIDERED 1957 WEDDING OF SONSOLES DIEZ DE RIVERA. THE EXHIBITION WILL EXAMINE THE INFLUENCES OF HIS DESIGNS OF THE COUNTRY'S GREAT ARTISTS, FROM ZURBARAN AND GOYA TO PICASSO AND MIRO, AND OF SPAIN'S RELIGIOUS DRESS AND CEREMONY, ITS ROYAL HISTORY, ITS REGIONAL COSTUME, ITS DANCE TRADITIONS, AND THE POWER AND SPLENDOR OF THE BULLFIGHT. THE EXHIBITION, ON SHOW FROM 19.NOVEMBER UNTIL 19.FEBRUARY.2011, WAS CONCEIVED BY THE AMERICAN DESIGNER, OSCAR DE LA RENTA, WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF THE INSTITUTE'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND WHO BEGAN HIS CAREER IN FASHION, WORKING IN MADRID AT EISA, ONE OF SPAIN'S BRANCHES OF BALENCIAGA'S FASHION EMPIRE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.queensofiaspanishinstitute.org