By: Alex Edwards
The London fashion world is in for an exciting week with the opening of two major, new exhibitions. At the Victoria and Albert Museum, Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion opens May 27, and at the Fashion and Textile Museum, The World of Anna Sui opens May 26.
Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion focuses on the last few decades of the fashion icon, also commonly referred to as the “master of haute couture,” Cristóbal Balenciaga.
The bold and innovative designer founded his fashion house in San Sebastian nearly a century ago, but the exhibition looks at his later work — like the square coat, the sack-dress, skirts as capes and puffy evening gowns.
Over 100 pieces are featured throughout the exhibition crafted by both Balenciaga and those he influenced, and it is all divided into sections called Front Of House, Workrooms and Balenciaga’s Legacy. After 18 months of planning, Shaping Fashion is sure to impress fashion enthusiasts across the U.K.
When The World of Anna Sui opens, the museum says that it will be the first exhibition in the U.K. celebrating an American fashion designer.
The exhibition will showcase the former-rockstar’s work, with over 100 looks. Sui was potent during the era of grunge and rock ‘n’ roll in the U.S., and her clothes reflect it. Two of her first clients were Mick Jagger and Cher. The entire collection is divided into 12 themes Sui chose based on her entire career. They all reflect Sui’s massive fashion empire, with everything from apparel to shoes and accessories.
You can buy tickets to Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion here and to The World of Anna Sui here.