Designer Spotlight: Cristóbal Balenciaga

The Museum at FIT presents its Designer Spotlight series where MFIT curators explore objects in our permanent collection that highlight a specific designer's work and contributions to fashion.Born in Spain, Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) opened his couture house in Paris in 1937. One of fashion’s greatest innovators, he radically altered the fashionable silhouette with designs such as the sack dress. He retired in 1968, and in 1997, Nicolas Ghesquière was hired as creative director of Balenciaga. Balenciaga’s work is characterized by a strong emphasis on three-dimensional form