The items I told you about last week are all in the permanent collection at the V&A and can be seen any time for free. Alongside the permanent collection, there are usually two or three special exhibits. As a member, I can visit these at any time at no additional cost, non members need to buy tickets which cost between £12 and £25 depending on the exhibit.
In the fashion gallery, the work of Cristóbal Balenciaga is currently on display. His work as a fashion designer was strongly influenced by textile and pattern cutting. Most famously he rarely had side-seams in the gowns he designed. I thought I’d caught out that maxim when I saw this dress and then realised that there isn’t a side-seam, rather darts have been used to give the right shape. This means that the fabric flows a lot smoother over the wearers hips.
As part of this exhibit, the V&A worked with an X-ray artist to capture and show the internal workings of one of his iconic gowns. I’m not a great fan of the giant bow-thing at the back, but I am fascinated by the boning and wiring not usually apparent.
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