The Master of Us All: Balenciaga, His Workrooms, His World

Balenciaga was perhaps the most invisible glamorous person of them all. I have always had a secret place in my heart for fashion which is belied by my appearance, but this book really captivated me. Valencia's was the Basque from Spain who personified French fashion. Two things" that one can state with absolute certainty are that he had sinus trouble and that he loved to ski." He was said to be tall. Pictures show an elegant man. He was even rumored to be more than one man like Shakespeare. He lived in fabled "interesting times" during which the French convinced the Germans that taking French couture to Germany would be bad for the Germans. One of his customers spent her time in jail in a Balenciago gown. One woman escaped arrest because she dressed by Molyneux. But the detail that captivated me was the story of a dress being restored. The seamstress exploring a straight seam found out that it was curved to suit the less than narrow client. Sigh, I have to swoon on that one. Balenciago made the press gaga, but was private and resisted. His friends and employees were the icons of haute couture. His fashions were heart stopping. This book contains it all and is written in an urbane, replete, understated form. Eminently readable, in the end you should read this book not because it is about great fiction, but because it is a great book.

The author really knows what she is writing about. Honest research, original interviews. Not copies from other writers. A pleasure to read. I will purchase more of her books.

For a great master like Christobal Balenciaga, a very private man, not much of his private life is known. Tons of books and references about his great clothes and obsession of the "Sleeves" make him perhaps the greatest designer of the 20th Century. Here in this book you get a glimpse of the TRUE Balenciaga, the man who is working and makes comments on people, clothes and food. The sensitivity and obsessive ways that make his clothes the perfect dress to wear. A true artist by temper and a craftsman by nature, this book tells you a lot about why he is the Great Balenciaga that he is.

Loved, loved this book. i read it while spending time in France which made the in depth look at the man and the era more exciting. Great info on the fashion industry in France during WW II.A great modern day pop culture writer suggested it to me and he was spot on.

Book arrived in condition described. This is a very interesting look at the life of Balenciaga , an extrodinary man.

Overall, an enjoyable read. The main thing that I did not like was that there was relatively very little about Balenciaga throughout the book, as compared to the extraneous, biographical information of several other people. Almost as if this information was just filler. I understand that the man was notoriously private, so I'm sure getting any "meat" for the core of the book was challenging. Perhaps a more apt title would have been, Balenciaga, a Moment in Time with Those That Knew Him. I would recommend this book if you are interested in the general histories of fashion, Paris, WWII and society. This is why I liked the book. If you are looking for an in depth biography of the man (presumably impossible,) then I would look elsewhere.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. I didn't select it because I had some great love of Balenciaga and his work, but rather because I know him as a style master to the haute societe'. I thought it would be interesting to see what shaped him and what influenced his life. A good book that I looked forward to reading a chapter whenever I could steal the time.

Just arrived last night, haven’t read it yet of course, but it is a beautiful book, arrived in mint condition and quickly. Wish I had a few of his Dresses!!

Know the man, the times and the society. History knows all.

I have been interested in haute couture for most of my life and have many books on the legendary haute couture designers, including beautifully photographed coffee table books. Balenciaga is my absolute favourite, but little has been written in any detail by anyone connected to him about this reclusive haute couturier. This book is like a time machine and transports you back to the salon's of Balenciaga, in San Sebastian in his native Spain and of course Paris. You learn about his key fashion influences, his rise to fashion superstardom and fashion innovation, and of his support to other designers like Andre Courreges, Emanual Ungaro, Hubert De Givenchy, and his bitter fallout with Coco Chanel. However, I was most fascinated about life in the Paris house of Balenciaga, the very complex cutthroat hierarchy of the salon, how it worked, the wealthy customers, the workrooms with Balenciaga's uncompromising, meticulous, attention to every single detail, and his lifelong obsession with sleeves. They didn't call him the couturiers couturier for nothing, and his influence endures through today's high profile fashion designers and haute couturiers. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and did not want it to end. A must for lovers of the golden age of haute couture.

Todo muy bien, tenía muchas ganas de tener este libro.

Great !

Culled from the many books and catalogues about Balenciaga, Mary Blume has managed to mine new information and revelation about the greatest couture Master of his Time. Succinctly written - easy to read between the lines concerning his relationship with his family and especially with Givenchy and friendship with Chanel -any admirer of the Great Man, and of the Couture, will find this compact and elegant petit biography well worth perusing.