Balenciaga's "Infanta" dress was inspired by the paintings of Diego Velázquez, the official court painter of King Philip IV of Spain. It echoes the shape and formality of seventeenth-century Spanish court costume. The Infanta was the eldest daughter of the King and Queen of Spain, and in paintings by Velázquez she is depicted wearing a dress with a tight-fitting bodice and a very wide skirt supported by panniers. As well as referencing this silhouette, Baleneciaga's "Infanta" dress also anticipates Christian Dior's celebrated post-war "New Look."

In 1939, Vogue noted, "An army of heroine figures invaded the couture collections." For the Spanish-born designer, the Infanta, on whose shoulders the future of the Spanish crown rested, was a symbol of hope and glorification.

BACK TO TOP