As I mentioned last week, Cristobal Balenciaga was famous for his unconventional pattern making. He avoided side-seams and sought to find ways to let fabrics drape and fall around a body regardless of traditional slopers and patterns.
A famous design of his is the One Seam Coat. In the picture below, one of his coats is being put on mannequin to go on display
The V&A have re-produced this pattern in smaller scale on thick paper. Any visitor to the Balenciaga exhibit can pick up one or more of them.
I picked up a couple and using the instructions on tearing and folding, duly made a paper copy of the one seam coat (only without the actual seam!)
I then scaled the pattern up and have made a trial version to see how the sleeve length and cuff width would actually work out. Having tried it on, I will over the next few days of the Christmas break make a fully lined and faced version of the coat.
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