Azzedine Alaïa e Cristóbal Balenciaga. Scultori della forma

Two masters of French haute couture on display at the Textile Museum in Prato

Two great names in French haute couture come together in an extraordinary exhibition at the Museo del Tessuto in Prato, marking the conclusion of the museum’s program celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.

Azzedine Alaïa and Cristóbal Balenciaga. Sculptors of Shape is a major exhibition celebrating the art of couture through 50 masterpiece garments from the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation in Paris, accompanied by original drawings and sketches by Balenciaga.Presented for the first time in Italy, the exhibition was created in collaboration with the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, chaired by Carla Sozzani, and curated by Olivier Saillard, fashion historian and former director of the Palais Galliera in Paris.

“This exhibition project was born in 2018 from a wish by Givenchy, a great admirer of Balenciaga,” recalled Carla Sozzani during the opening. “He confided in me his desire for a major exhibition bringing together Azzedine and Balenciaga. Three weeks later he passed away, but the show was realised in 2020, and today it arrives in Prato, for the first time in Italy.”

In a refined visual dialogue, twenty-five creations by Azzedine Alaïa are paired with an equal number of pieces by Cristóbal Balenciaga, in a timeless conversation that exalts the sculptural essence of fashion. Completing the exhibition are twelve original Balenciaga drawings dated between 1950 and 1968, on loan from the Balenciaga Archives in Paris and shown in Italy for the first time. Alongside the sketches, vintage photographs and fabric samples reveal the creative process of the great Spanish couturier.

“In fashion, as in art, we draw inspiration from the masters who came before us,” explains curator Olivier Saillard. “This project also carries a message for contemporary designers: the importance of valuing the raw material over the finished garment. Everything begins and ends with the fabric.”

Both Balenciaga and Alaïa elevated fabric to the level of an artistic language, sculpting the female form with precision and sensuality. Self-taught and of humble origins, they both learned the art of sewing within their families before achieving international success—each with a distinctive style, independent from market trends. Balenciaga, who in 1958 invented the celebrated gazar, shaped wool and silk into architectural silhouettes; Alaïa, a master of knitwear and leather, transformed matter into pure sculpture.

The exhibition path

Hosted inside the grand hall of the Museo del Tessuto – located in the former Campolmi textile mill, a remarkable example of Prato’s industrial heritage – the exhibition unfolds in three thematic sections: Tailleur, Flou, and Spain.

Tailleur: highlights include a Balenciaga jacket from 1938, perfectly fitted at the waist yet never restrictive, and Alaïa’s Spencer jacket from 1968, inspired by late eighteenth-century English riding attire.
Flou: showcases ethereal evening gowns such as a 1960 Balenciaga dress in black wool crepe with a draped stole and side bows, and Alaïa’s iconic black taffeta gown, featuring a draped, form-fitting bodice and an immense circular skirt measuring nearly thirty meters in circumference.
Spain: pays homage to the designers’ shared cultural roots, with ruffles, lace, embroidery, and the traditional bolero, symbol of Iberian elegance reinterpreted through couture.