Balenciaga question

claireshaeffer

claireshaeffer

VFG Member
This is a Balenciaga construction question:
The dress is a heavy silk satin with a label but no # under the label. It is unlined with hooks and eyes in the back and snaps at the placket in the front.

The seams are unfinished with no thread overcasting. I've seen unfinished seams in lined garments, but not unlined.

I haven't seen the dress; the question came to me in an email. According to email, the styling looks right.

The unfinished seams raise question of whether this is truly a Balenciaga. Please comment.
Claire
 
I have only handled three or four true Balenciaga garments and they had all the tell tale signs of French couture that, as you point out, are missing from your example. I am not aware of Balenciaga selling any of his designs to an American manufacturer like Balmain or Dior did so I don't know about that. However, there was a line of shoes in the early-mid 60s labelled Balenciaga (it may have been for only one year as I have only ever seen pointed toe stiletto heeled shoes with the label) I haven't tracked down any origin to the Balenciaga name used in these shoes. He didn't design shoes and yet his name unapologetically appears in the shoes which means one of two things to me. Either he didn't care about the use of his name in products as long as he made money, or, his name wasn't registered internationally or there was some loophole whereby manufacturers found they could use his name in labels and not pay him for the use. At any rate, there are mysteries out there... so it sounds like you have another one on your hands. Any idea of what era the dress is?
 
I'm wondering if it's a sample. I don't have any specialised knowledge of Balenciaga per se, but samples aren't designed to be worn and so are often unfinished.

Nicole
 
I think you would need to see the garment in person, or at least in good photos, to tell for sure. But, never having had a Balenciaga, I think Nicole may be right--that it was a sample or a spec piece. Perhaps a runway sample if earlier or a salesman's sample if later?
 
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