Exhibit in Calais, France to honor Balenciaga's lace

This month, the Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode in Calais, France will open an exhibition dedicated to Cristobal Balenciaga's use of lace, offering an original approach to the work of the Spanish couturier upon the 120th anniversary of his birth. "Balenciaga, Lace Magician" will be on display at the museum from April 18 to August 31.

Balloon sleeves and baby doll dresses may be the first things that come to mind when discussing Balenciaga. But the Calais museum of lace and fashion will explore another defining element of the designer's collections. Throughout his career, Balenciaga used lace in everything from cocktail dresses and evening gowns to boleros and accessories.

The exhibit will include over 70 ensembles designed by the couturier, including a number displayed to the public for the first time in France. In addition to admiring stunning haute couture gowns, visitors will have an opportunity to learn more about the history of lace and of Balenciaga's relationship to the delicate material, one of the signature products of Calais and the surrounding region.

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Not just for fashion addicts, the exhibit will offer three different levels of interpretation linked respectively to fashion, social history, and creative techniques. Visitors will learn about some of the leading lace producers in history, including Marescot, Dognin and Brivet, and about some of the world's most illustrious embroidery houses such as Lesage.

Presented by the Cité de la Mode et de la Dentelle de Calais in collaboration with the Cristobal Balenciaga Foundation, the exhibition will travel to Getaria, Spain, the couturier's birthplace, in 2016.