Spanish-born Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) ranks among the leading couturiers of the twentieth century. The Balenciaga garments and accessories in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum serve as a catalogue of the designer's most distinctive work, from his toreador-like beaded boleros to his precisely tailored suits, from sack-backed day dresses to artful millinery creations. The range of dates of the objects identified as highlights of the collection represent the prime years of Balenciaga's oeuvre, from the late 1940s to the mid 1960s. The garments in the Brooklyn Museum collection illustrate Balenciaga's design evolution over the course of his career, a process that allowed new shapes to emerge without rendering his previous work obsolete.
