T R A N S M I S S I O N S : H E R I T A G E & N E W C R E A T I O N
“Elegance is elimination.”
For the 2019-2021 Cristobal Balenciaga Museoa Transmissions competition, my final design represents the elemental basics of a gown. Simple and unconcerned with encasing the body, four long, sheer panels with x-ray prints of Goya's paintings fan out from the wearer’s body, supported by two minimal bows at the shoulders. Beneath, the focus is on the wearer's form, the tight fitted black wool jacket comes forward in the front, and exposes the bare back; a Balenciaga trademark.
I joined the worlds of Balenciaga and Goya through expressing creative mystery and a whimsical darkness in fabric and form. The beauty of Goya’s folkloric etchings and “Black Paintings” is in their stories of good, bad, and evil. They communicate that in life and art, there is a need for balance. The outcome of this garment is a balance between simplistic elegance and the mystery of darkness. The x-ray prints of Goya’s paintings reveal that there is more than what meets the eye, lingering beneath the surface, emulating Balenciaga’s character and creative soul.
