A couturier must be…

…an architect for design
…a sculptor for shape
…a painter for color
…a musician for harmony
…a philosopher for temperance

This describes the “Balenciaga spirit” as professed on the Balenciaga website and boy, does it ever capture the essence of this great designer!

Take today’s VPOD for instance, an haute couture 1960s coat by Balenciaga. The design is architectural, displaying balance and precision, as well as sculptural with those perfectly proportioned sleeves.  The color? Well, in this case the painter chose a pale shade to accentuate the purity of the design. The musician? He made sure to allow for enough simplicity so the coat could be accompanied by a quartet of accessories. And finally, the philosopher made sure that there would be “no useless ostentation” and that the piece would stand out regardless of the woman who wore it.

That, my friends, is all it takes to be a master of your craft. A genius. A one-and-only.

Like this one-and-only find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Vintage Couture.

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