Balenciaga: The Subtleties of a Dialogue

It's a favourite weekend of Parisians, where the impossible is possible, and all of the secret locations open their doors to the general public for two days, September 21 and September 22. So does Balenciaga and its parent company Kering, who participate in European Heritage Days (Journées Européennes du Patrimoine) for the 9th time and invite everybody to visit their headquarters, the historical Laennec landmark located on the Left Bank at 40 rue de Sèvres.

What's on the program? An art exhibition curated by the Pinault Collection at the chapel featuring a unique selection of works by six contemporary artists, entitled "In Praise of Space". For example, there is a neon mural by Mario Merz and several acrylic paintings by Anne Imhof, placed in the most unexpected locations of the chapel. And then there is a fashion exhibition in the halls usually used by Balenciaga to organise re-see appointments (yes, correct, here the buyers normally place their orders and models come for fitting before the show). Entitled "The Subtleties of a Dialogue", the exhibit gives a spotlight to creations by both Cristóbal Balenciaga and Demna from the House's archives. Presented as objets d’art within a scenography that isolates details of each work, they let us have a closer look at their signature aesthetics, craft and iconic Balenciaga codes. The showcase is divided into six themed sections —the Collar, the Sleeve, the Waist, the colour Black, and Dialogues between Monsieur Balenciaga and Demna—a focus on the micro is made to better educate on the macro.

Among the highlights of the exhibition, curated by Gaspard de Massé, Head of Balenciaga Heritage, are some of the one-of-a-kind couture dresses from Demna's first couture collection N50, but also the rarest ball gowns from the 60s, imagined by Cristobal Balenciaga for his clients: most of them are stocked under special conditions to protect them from the daylight, so it's a unique chance to see them before they get sent back to the archives. 

Discover the key silhouettes from the exhibition in our gallery and don't miss your chance to visit the exhibition this weekend.

Images credit : Annik Wetter

Text: Lidia Ageeva