Works by renowned fashion pioneer Cristobal Balenciaga will be exhibited at the Bendigo Art Gallery later this year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The gallery will announce on Wednesday the Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibition, organised by the Victoria and Albert Museum, will open in August.
It will explore the work and legacy of the Spanish designer whose use of fabrics revolutionised the female silhouette and influenced modern fashion design.
As well as pieces created by Balenciaga, archive sketches, patterns, photographs, fabric samples and catwalk footage will feature in the exhibition.
Bendigo Art Gallery senior curator Leanne Fitzgibbon said the exhibition would showcase why Balenciaga was considered an incredible leader in the fashion world.
It traces his influence through the work of more than 30 fashion designers across the last 50 years.
"He is a designer whose work has influenced contemporary fashion. He is a single individual who has had this international effect on design and continues to do so," she said.
"Cristobal Balenciaga was incredibly innovative and pioneered the use of fabric and the ability to manipulate textiles. Even his own contemporaries like Christian Dior called him The Master and followed in his wake."
The Balenciaga exhibition follows own from other successful fashion-based shows - such as Marimekko, Maticevski and the Golden Age of Couture - presented by the Bendigo Art Gallery in recent years.
Read more:
Ms Fitzgibbon said the exhibitions were popular because of people's interest in design.
"People love something they can connect with and we are a gallery that is interested in showing design," she said.
"Contemporary audiences are interested in the history (of fashion) and love seeing how it is made.
"This exhibition looks at the chronology of Balenciaga's work and how his influence has had an impact. It will have exquisite evening gowns and tailored suits and is a chance to see some extraordinary designs."
Acting director of Bendigo Art Gallery Gaye Harrington said the exhibition marked the centenary of the opening of Balenciaga's first fashion house.
"It is also the 80th anniversary of the opening of his famous fashion house in Paris, so is a timely reminder of how influential and enduring Balenciaga's work remains," she said.
"We are thrilled to bring this exhibition, exclusive to Australia, from London's revered Victoria and Albert Museum, and to continue to showcase the work of some of the world's most important designers at Bendigo Art Gallery."
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Event Martin Pakula said the new exhibition again showcased the region's reputation for arts.
"This exciting collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is a testament to regional Victoria's standing as an international arts destination," he said.
"Tourism in regional Victoria contributes $7.5 billion to the state's economy each year, and employs over 85,000 people. We're proud to support exhibitions that keep our regional tourism industry thriving."
Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion is on at Bendigo Art Gallery from August 17.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.