A Balenciaga Masterpiece in Toronto

1960s magazine ad for Balenciaga perfume

I recently had the opportunity to examine a superb vintage Balenciaga day coat at the flagship of Toronto’s Holt Renfrew. Canada’s most prestigious clothing retailer, Holt Renfrew, was founded in 1837 in Quebec, and has held royal warrants, such as furrier to Queen Victoria. In the late 20th century, as furs were seen less frequently, and were viewed as politically problematic, the store became better known for supplying designer and other fine clothing and accessories for men and women. Among the brands carried are Christian Dior (a relationship starting in the late 1940s when Dior himself visited the store and Toronto social scene), Chanel, Gucci, Saint-Laurent, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, and Roger Vivier. In keeping with the times, and the popularity of vintage clothing, they have offered a diminutive, exclusive collection of pieces by vintage dealer Linda Latner of Vintage Couture. The collection consists of a single rack, but is of such quality and so carefully selected, or curated, that it is always a pleasure to view. This is the closest one can physically get to museum quality vintage couture.

Some months ago, I was particularly intrigued by this superb, mid 1960s Balenciaga couture coat offered at Holt's. Interestingly, it had been first retailed by Holt Renfrew, the same store selling it now, some 45 years ago. Apart from this fascinating historic detail, the coat in itself is an exemplary piece of Balenciaga, the type that connoisseurs and curators of fashion admire. Typically, in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, a few select pieces of couture were brought in, and promoted by top retailers such as Bergdorf's, Saks, and Neiman-Marcus in the United States, Harrods in London, and Eaton's, Simpson's, Creed's, and Holt Renfrew in Canada. They were often featured in illustrated, full page newspaper ads, and would create an exclusive buzz while demonstrating a trend, colour, or theme for the season that was available in the store's less expensive lines. Sometimes, a couture example was reproduced as ready-to-wear, at a much lower price, but with a certain cachet of having the design reproduced or adapted from an exclusive Paris model.

In the mid 1960s, Balenciaga clothes reached an amazing level of skill and design evolution. The clothes were simple and wearable, but very original. Balenciaga believed in simplicity as a form of dignity. Many consider the clothes almost monastic in feeling, reminiscent of liturgical robes, ecclesiastical garments, and religious habits. Balenciaga was partial to heavy, costly fabrics that had body and structure. His designs were simply cut so as to show the quality and beauty of the fabric.

For aficionados who appreciate cut and couture, this day coat deserves closer examination. It is boxy and cut away from the body. It is pieced in large horizontal panels, giving a slightly segmented feeling, especially when it is worn. It has an ease and generous feel that was the antitheses of the corseted, cantilevered, padded and shaped 1950s Christian Dior ideal a decade earlier. The narrowest horizontal panel, about 4” wide, is at waist level (the bottom edge is also the opening to the left and right slash pockets), and becomes a loose, drape-y half belt at the back that holds in the fabric folds in soft box pleats. In a medium weight wool with an almost felt like surface, and in a quiet cream, this is luxurious Paris couture in the most discreet manner. Considering the great expense of Paris couture, a coat like this which sits away from the body, and would actually fit a range of sizes and weight fluctuations, might be considered a better investment than a fitted, limited use, gala gown.

In considering such a design, one should imagine it in different fabrics and colours, just as Wallis Simpson did with her favorite couture models. She is known to have pleasantly surprised Dior himself by reordering one of his own models in an entirely different colour and material. This would be a bewitching evening coat in black or raspberry heavy matte satin. It could be a beautiful spring coat in hot pink mohair. A Donegal or Linton tweed example would be wonderful in fall. Black wool serge or gaberdine would make it the ultimate all purpose coat.

Looking at a really fine couture example such as this, it is understandable that the elite of the 1950s and 1960s, women like Mona Bismarck and Bunny Mellon, ordered several versions for various residences, and in different colours for variety. One is struck by the balance, proportion, and taste of such a design, and yet it has a retiring aspect. Balenciaga clothes are as much about the wearer as they are about the garment, and they have a sense of modesty that is ennobling.

One cannot help but wonder why a stylist or design studio didn't acquire this piece. Top design houses are known to take vintage pieces as "inspiration." It certainly wouldn't have been out of place in a well edited Prada, Jil Sander, or Marc Jacobs collection. With a price similar to a new Chanel jacket, I don't think that such a rare and exceptional piece is unreasonable, but then stylists of the world don't usually think of Toronto as a destination for superb vintage couture.

I agree with fashion historians who have assessed Balenciaga as the greatest couturier, and I’ve seen many incredible pieces in museums, private collections, and books, but this has to be one of my favourites. Because it is such a superb example, and is a document of the way Paris couture was disseminated to far away, sparsely populated Canada, I would loved to have seen it go to the fashion collection of the ROM, Seneca College, or the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. But least I have photos and got to hold it in my hands, and in a way, that was better than viewing it behind glass and in obligatory archival low light conditions.

Many thanks to Lynda Latner for generously sharing the images, and for sleuthing out such a masterpiece.

http://www.vintagecouture.com/

Images courtesy of Lynda Latner of Vintage Couture

mid 1960s cream wool Balenciaga coat


detail of back of Balenciaga coat; note the elegant yet casual draping and the way the back panel is one with the sleeves (cut Raglan style at the front)

these wonderful large buttons, so simple and beautifully proportioned for the coat design, remind me of French macarons from Ladurée

the labels of Balenciaga and Holt Renfrew that connect the old and new world with couture

Happy Birthday Hubert de Givenchy!

Happy Birthday to the artist-ocratic Hubert de Givenchy!

In a 1998 interview with Charlie Rose, Hubert de Givenchy said, “Current fashion is ugly,” and went on to specifically mention heavy shoes, an excess of black, and the importance of being clean, suggesting that some people appear to need a bath. For a man who created such beauty, the hard edges and negative aspect of much street inspired, rock and roll fashion of today must be an anathema.

This unassuming but courtly gentleman who was born in Beauvais, France, turned 83 this February.

Givenchy retired in 1995, and was succeeded by a then unpolished John Galliano and a creative but shockingly edgy Alexander McQueen. This drastic change in artistic direction caught the French establishment off guard. It was somewhat like being forced to listen to the Sex Pistols when your favourite music is Mozart. Who can understand the logic of those who want to re-brand venerable houses in a way that makes them unrecognizable and does not acknowledge their rich, historic, and creative past? Change can be refreshing and positive, but obliterating the past is reminiscent of dictatorships. Perhaps in the future we can look forward to some creative re-interpretations of classic Givenchy designs, much the way that current designers have done at Balenciaga, Chanel, Hermes, and Dior.

While many designers have fashions that shout defiantly, Givenchy’s designs spoke gently, clearly and succinctly. He was a disciple of Balenciaga, and that pure, rigorous aesthetic was evident in his designs. The clothes were comfortable, but not loose. They suggested the contours of a woman’s body, but were never tight, clingy or vulgar. Prominent patrons of Givenchy couture were Audrey Hepburn, Bunny Mellon, the Duchess of Windsor, Mona Bismarck, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Jayne Wrightsman. Audrey Hepburn said that her friend Hubert’s clothes were a form of protection for her. Looking at a vintage Givenchy dress today does not convey the sense of beauty with which it was originally presented or seen. Many simple evening dresses were designed with restraint to set off important jewels clients owned. Formal gowns that are without sleeves would have been worn with long gloves, giving a less exposed look than is apparent. Day outfits were often punctuated with inventive hats, highly original and creative sculptures in their own right. In Breakfast at Tiffany’s, look at Audrey Hepburn’s little black day dress that she wears with a wide brimmed hat and long organza band to understand how millinery was crucial to the total concept. Many fabrics that have large scale prints, or elaborate surface decoration and embroideries, were put on garments with very simple, uninterrupted lines in order to show the superb design, pattern, and quality of the material.

As a great connoisseur of the arts, Givenchy has collected superlative 20th century art by Giacometti (some of it specially commissioned) and other modern masters, but also collected the most magnificent 18th century furniture and decorative arts. With his infallible, acutely trained eye, his understanding of volume, proportion, colour and balance was skillfully exploited in his fashion designs. While every designer is best known for grandiose evening gowns, and Givenchy did those to perfection, his day clothes were also outstanding. His coats and suits were finely tailored and flattering, and more designers today need to devote more attention to day wear, as Givenchy did.


Wool day suit jacket with "Matisse" motifs, 1992

For a good snapshot of Givenchy designs, look at Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Givenchy’s flawless designs can be seen in cocktail dresses, evening gowns, day coats, and gorgeous hats that enhance ensembles. Incredibly, Edith Head won the Oscar award for best costume in Roman Holiday and in Sabrina, when Givenchy should have been recognized. I’ve written to the Academy of Motion Pictures more than once with regard to this oversight.

There are far fewer books on Givenchy than on Chanel or Dior, and this seems to add to his mystique. The ones that are available really don’t use illustrative examples of his designs to show any chronological progression for the more than four successive decades, and that is a shame, because the collections are sublime.

I’ve seen a few pieces from one of his spring/summer 1992 couture collection, with silk and wool patchwork and applique inspired by Matisse paper cut-outs, and they are incredibly beautiful. “Beautiful,” and “pretty” are words that one rarely hears in fashion anymore. Wouldn’t most women out of their teenage years rather be “beautiful” than “edgy.”? Certainly, if they are dressing for themselves or for men, beautiful is better, and Givenchy and his exclusive clientele thought so too.



Silk day dress with "Matisse" foliate motifs, spring'/summer 1992



Detail of silk floral embroidery on dress Jacqueline Kennedy wore to Versailles, 1961.

Hubert de Givenchy fashions are wonderful to wear. They are comfortable, flattering, elegant, modest, and never make the wearer feel conspicuous. They strike the perfect balance of simplicity and style, without being minimalist or dull. His "look" could be described as mid century, modern Paris, and that is a style that is now classic and eternally flattering. Consider the images of Audrey Hepburn and all will be understood.

For an interesting but rare glimpse of the aristocratic and discreet Hubert de Givenchy, see this 1998 Charlie Rose interview:

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/4633

Apart from the unforgettable photographic and motion picture images, and existing archival garments that Hepburn wore, all a result of the Hepburn/ Givenchy alliance, the most wonderful thing of all is the legacy of philanthropy, and heightened awareness of the work of UNICEF that endures as testimony to Hepburn’s sensitivity and generosity, the aura within that made her all the more compelling on screen and in person. Givenchy, with his innate understanding of beauty, enhanced this and made it all the more apparent.

In the last decade, Givenchy has used his talent for philanthropic projects such as museum exhibits he has helped to organize, and restoration of the vegetable/ kitchen garden at Versailles. He has donated garments to be auctioned for charitable causes, and it was a delight to know that the proceeds of the extremely high realized prices were going to benefit the underprivileged and needy.



Garden motifs, spring 1961 Jackie's Givenchy Versailles dress

I doubt Givenchy misses the pressure of having to present new collections to legions of journalists looking for sensational changes to report. For Givenchy who loves gardens, plants and flowers so passionately, such philanthropy must be a most rewarding contribution to the disciplines of History, Horticulture and design, not to mention important social causes.

Thank you Monsieur Givenchy, and many happy returns!


Photos of white evening gown from "JACQUELINE KENNEDY; THE WHITE HOUSE YEARS Selections from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, Bulfinch Press/ Little, Brown and Co., 2001.

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