A Balenciaga exhibition is coming to London's V&A museum

The V&A will stage the celebratory retrospective opening in May 2017
Swan Gallet/WWD/Rex
Charlie Teather12 October 2016

The V&A have revealed that from May next year the museum will play host to a fashion exhibition dedicated to Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga.

The 'Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion' retrospective is the first in the UK dedicated to the designer.

It will mark the 100th anniversary of the opening of his first fashion house in San Sebastian and 80 years since he opened the doors of his famous Paris salon.

Around 100 garments and 20 hats representing the work of both Balenciaga himself as well as his successors will be brought together with sketches, photographs and fabric examples in order to provide an in-depth look at the craftsmanship that earned Balenciaga his reputation as one of the most innovative and influential designers of the 20th century.

While many of the pieces are iconic within their own right, the V&A also has a number of Balenciaga pieces that have never been seen before.

A timely exhibition, the fashion house is currently be taken in a radically new direction under the creative lead of the influential Vetements head designer Demna Gvasalia, who most recently showcased a Balenciaga collection at Paris Fashion Week which saw Spandex, latex trench coats and exaggerated shoulders thrill the fashion crowd.

Balenciaga SS17 at Paris Fashion Week

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The retrospective follows on from previous successful fashion exhibitions put on by the V&A, including 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty' which is still the museum's most-visited exhibition ever.

'Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion' will take place at the V&A museum from May 27, 2017 to February 18, 2018

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