Cristóbal Balenciaga, the first Italian monographic exhibition on the Spanish couturier
Cristóbal Balenciaga | Shoes from Spain Tribute opened on February 21st at Palazzo Morando.
130 years after the birth of the Spanish couturier , Milan hosts the first monographic exhibition in Italy dedicated to Cristóbal Balenciaga . The exhibition, entitled Cristóbal Balenciaga | Shoes from Spain Tribute , will be held at Palazzo Morando Costume Moda Immagine, from 21 February to 2 March 2025, during Milan Fashion Week .
A selection of twenty-five dresses, from museums and private collections, will be accompanied by an equal number of shoe models, created specifically for the exhibition, in a curatorial path that creates a dialogue between Balenciaga's legacy and the Spanish footwear industry.
Among the pieces on display, the silver brocade dress worn by mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza in 1965 stands out, along with models from the wardrobe of Sonsoles Diez de Rivera, a historic client and friend of the couturier. The exhibition ends with a rare ivory silk shantung wedding dress, unique in its kind for its silver thread embroidery.
The organization is curated by Javier Echeverría Sola, with the support of the Federation of Spanish Footwear Industries (FICE), led by Rosana Perán. The exhibition itinerary, designed by Elisa Ossino's studio, unfolds through eight sections, which tell the stylistic evolution of Balenciaga. It starts with his most iconic dresses to arrive at creations inspired by Spanish tradition, passing through clerical influences and experiments with shapes and volumes.
