Shaping Fashion
Cristóbal Balenciaga
V&A Museum
24 MAY 2017 - 28 FEBRUARY 2018
£12.00
I have surprisingly never been to the V&A, as most of the exhibitions they hold are related to fashion. Although I like to think I'm not a complete case of fashion suicide, looking at a bunch of clothes doesn't majorly excite me... especially if I can't afford to buy them.
However, when one of my best girlfriends got two VIP tickets to the private grand opening of Shaping Fashion, I was thrilled and excited for my first visit. The exhibition itself examines the work and legacy of influential Spanish fashion designer, Cristóbal Balenciaga. Labelled 'the master' of couture, Balenciaga is held in very high regard amongst many - Coco Chanel called him "the only couturier", whilst Givenchy declared "not even the Bible taught me as much as Balenciaga did"... so yeah... he's kinda a big deal.
The V&A is an absolutely stunning building, located in South Kensington amongst other stunning architecture. Once entered, (I went in the normal queue - Ciara went in the important entrance to be papped) we were greeting by a big marble hall and a free bar (now you know why I liked it so much). The exhibition was located through a long hall of sculptures, reminding me of the walkway towards the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Before we viewed the exhibition we enjoyed our free booze and people watching in the gorgeous central gardens, fountains and all.
The exhibition itself was extremely varied. Balenciaga's dresses range from inflated bin bag type creations, to intricate candy floss lace. Unsurprisingly, my favourite section of his work was titled 'Minimalism', whilst Ciara's was 'Perfectionism' (hardy har ha). He has styled anyone from supermodels to royalty and his name lives on today. I enjoyed looking around at the works, and as far as fashion exhibitions go I did find it interesting, despite previous preconceptions.
Overall, the exhibition was striking, bold and exciting. The V&A is a beautiful gallery and it is only right that such a highly respected and skilled craftsman should have his work displayed here. One thing I did take away from the exhibition was one of Balenciaga's personal quotes - "A woman has no need to be perfect or even beautiful to wear my dresses. The dress will do all that for her." So ladies, if you're having a confidence crisis, head over to the V&A immediately for some emergency fashion inspiration and to view the work of a fashion legend.
OVERALL RATING: ****
https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/balenciaga-shaping-fashion
