Balenciaga's Dress Archive Is More Size Inclusive Than You Think

Let's get things straight. The conversation about diversity in fashion is not new, but while everyone is talking about bodies on the catwalks, it's easy to overlook conversations that have taken place decades prior - some more literally than others. Balenciaga's latest archive exhibition The Woman Behind The Dress not only serves as a reminder that luxury fashion can be worn by anybody, regardless of size, but also let's us peer into the lives of those he dressed - through their clothes.

If you ever needed more proof Cristóbal Balenciaga revolutionised fashion silhouettes, The Woman Behind The Dress says it all. Featuring designs once worn by a whole host of stars including Royal family members, the Hollywood actress Ingrid Bergman, choreographer Agnes de Mille, and philanthropist Mona von Bismarck, the exhibition reveals what bonded all these women - a deep appreciation for the designer's creations crafted just for them.

The exhibition also delves into the more intimate details of each client's order as their proportions are laid bare for all viewers to see - custom mannequins that were used to preserve original measurements of certain clients are on show as well the measurements themselves.

'What he achieved on the body with his garments was akin to plastic surgery,’ notes Demna in the press release. Indeed, the pieces in this exhibition illustrate how these measurements were taken on mannequins, laying the foundation for dresses that celebrated the uniqueness of each body.

Through his visionary approach to form, coupled with a keen sense of proportion and innovation, Balenciaga made it his life's work to design dresses that elevated the women who wore them, instead of imposing beauty standards upon them; a sentiment that today's fashion industry could learn a thing or two from.