Balenciaga and Spanish painting

Before Balenciaga was known for chunky sneakers and ironic renditions of IKEA bags, there was its namesake, Cristóbal Balenciaga – one of the world’s greatest couturiers, affectionately named “el Maestro”. He was the designer that fashion luminaries, like Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, tipped their hats to. Although his creations have been trusted go-tos for high-profile women of the 20th century, not that much is known about the man himself – as he only gave a handful of interviews during his relatively short, yet immensely influential, 30-year reign over the fashion world from Paris. Lead by curator Eloy Martinez de la Pera, Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in collaboration with Las Rozas Villages — the Madrid location of the 11 Bicester Villages luxury destination shopping group, who also created at Fashion Route guide through the Madrid museum — is tracing the master couturier’s inspirations back to Spanish paintings from the 16th through to the 20th century, in a new exhibition entitled, Balenciaga and Spanish painting.