Balenciaga exhibit in New York at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute

Yesterday I went to see the Balenciaga exhibit curated by Hamish Bowles here in New York.  It's at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute on 68th and Park.  The exhibit is only up for a few more weeks so I decided to catch it while I could.  If you want to catch it, here is info on the hours and admission.

Gallery Hours: Mon. - Thurs.: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. ; Fri.: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. ; Sat.: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Admission: $15 for adults; $10 for students, seniors, and Institute members.

The exhibit consists of two large exhibition rooms displaying garments and hats, plus a third room that shows a video of models walking around wearing different outfits.  The pieces were curated through the lens of their relation to Spanish history and culture.  For instance, for each garment displayed on the ground floor, the corresponding placard showed a painting that would have inspired the piece.  On the second floor, there were references made to flamenco dancers, bullfighters, and religious garb. 

I'm a big Balenciaga fan, and it was just amazing to see so many of his garments displayed.  You could see the details and the way they were cut up close, and it was inspiring to see the work of someone so dedicated to his craft.  It reminded me that although it's easy to get caught up in all the hoopla surrounding fashion, what's really important is to develop work that's worth getting excited about.

This piece was probably my favorite in the exhibition.  I want to figure out how he draped that crazy sleeve.