Myra WalkerBalenciaga and His Legacy: Haute Couture from the Texas Fashion Collection

This is a terrific book showing a wide array of the Master's beautiful creations.The book is very well made and lavishly illustrated with stunning color and b/w photos. The photos show the garments both in their present condition along with archival clear shots showing the pieces worn by their respective owners or models, thus, giving them more visual context.The book is divided into chapters detailing how the house of Balenciaga evolved as well as explaining the sources of inspiration especially the Spanish ones and their contribution to the art of Balenciaga.The text is highly informative and easy to follow. This is a highly recommended book to Balenciaga fans and fashion enthusiasts in general, also it makes a great coffee-table book.

I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my daughter who is a head fashion designer for a small, specialty denim house in NYC. She loved the book. She says that the photos are outstanding (that the fashions shown in the photos are outstanding goes without saying) and the narrative is interesting and enlightening.A great acquisition for someone new to the industry or just for a fashionista to use as a coffee table book.

It was delivered without the cover. If I would’ve known I would’ve purchased it.

The pictures are stunning and cover a range of designs. What surprised me was how much I enjoyed reading about a woman who collected the textile art of Balenciaga and the history of Neiman Marcus. The author included pictures of Balenciaga creations being worn by their owner. Somehow that added a special touch and made this more than a collection of photographs of elegant clothing. I look forward to enjoying this book for many years.

I was quite disappointed with the photos. Balenciaga had SO many other gorgeous clothes that, in my opinion, should have been included in this book. Alot of information though... I'm going to sell it.

what can i say, its fashion!

gorgeous pics of gorgeous clothes. this guy is my fav. when it comes to couture and this book won't disappoint. well worth the money. yeah, Dior is great too but this guy really is the 'master'

M. Balenciaga was a master couturier so lacking today as one considers haute couture, especially, as the French houses of haute couture are virtually gone. At the time of M. Balenciaga's impact from the 1930s through 1968 when he closed his Parisian house, there were many more houses of haute couture. He, like Chanel, Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Mainbocher, Jacques Fath, Schiaparelli, Vionnet, and Gres to name a few, flourished as women from around the globe turned to the tradition and process of the haute couture as the pinnacle of what it meant to being well-dressed. Out of this number, the creations of M. Balenciaga stand-out. There is that certain something about his work which commands and rivets the attention. Yes, unquestionably elegant, imbued with masterful design, quality, and exacting a nobility for the wearer which she may or may not have actually possessed, but still whenever I view his creations I think to myself "more". Unlike today where being anonymous seems to be the rule of what passes for style, M. Balenciaga assured a woman would never be forgotten. This volume pays homage to that certain something and begs the question "where are the contemporary talents?" At the moment, in Paris there are only in my view, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and Valentino. These individuals know how to dress their haute couture clients (especially, those not wishing to dress perennially 18 years old) whereas the remaining haute couture houses present nothing but a media circus, for too long lead by that dreadful costumier posing as a couturier at Christian Dior. For the sheer pleasure of pondering something beautiful, I recommend this volume as well as Balenciaga by Marie-Andrée Jouve and Jacqueline Demornex published in 1991.

When you are interested in Balenciaga and see the history of wonderful clothing, hat pieces, buy this book. You won't be disappointed. When you are sewing yourself you will be inspired by the wonderful dresses, coats etc. It makes you to sit behind your sewing machine immideately.

クリストバル・バレンシアガの作品に絞って、クチュールドレスを中心に119の写真図版を掲載。マネキンに着せられた作品が見やすいアングルで淡々と並べられており、服装資料としては十分な造り。サイズはA4強程度で扱いやすい物となっている。※119の図版中には帽子等の小物や、後半極一部ですが、対比考察の為に他デザイナーの服も含まれますほぼ同時期に、より大判の展覧会図録も刊行されているが、服そのものを観察する事を目的とした写真資料をご所望であれば、断然本書を推薦します。内容に関しての注意点を挙げるとすれば、ニコラ・ゲスキエール作品とは無縁な内容である事と、ファッションフォトは一切無いので、ビジュアル面で楽しめる本では無い事くらいでしょうか。純粋に、クリストバル・バレンシアガのクチュール作品の写真資料集です。