A Tribute to Form: Balenciaga and Alaïa at Museo del Tessuto

Balenciaga and Alaïa converse in Italy. The Spanish designer and the French couturier, two of the great figures of 20th century haute couture, will be honored in an exhibition entitled Sculptors of Form, curated by Olivier Saillard in collaboration between the Museo del Tessuto di Prato and the Azzurri Foundation.The exhibition, entitled Sculptors of Form, is curated by Olivier Saillard and is a collaboration between the Museo del Tessuto di Prato and the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation in Paris. The exhibition will be open until May 3rd, 2026.

As part of its fiftieth anniversary, the Museo del Tessuto opened last Saturday the doors of the exhibition in honor of Cristobal Balenciaga and Azzedine Alaïa, where twenty-five creations of each designer will be exhibited, in a timeless comparison of their works.

“Balenciaga’s quest for perfection translates into impeccable formal elegance, while Alaïa’s highlights a precise sensuality,“ says the Museo del Tessuto.The Tessuto Museum on Form Sculptors, which lands for the first time in Italy under the patronage of the French Embassy in the country, and with the participation of the Balenciaga archives in Paris.

Balenciaga and Alaïa unite their works in homage to traditional Spanish clothing

The exhibition is completed with a film on the life and work of Azzedine Alaïa, made by stylist Joe McKenna, and a previously unseen video showing Balenciaga’s haute couture presentations in the summers of 1960 and 1968, from the Balenciaga archives in Paris.

The show’s two opening pieces symbolize both designers’ interpretations of femininity, and twelve original Balenciaga drawings are displayed alongside them. The exhibition hall then houses three sections, Atelier Tailleur, Atelier Flou and Spagna.

The first creates more structured garments, such as tailored coats and jackets, employing rigorous tailoring techniques similar to those of men’s suits. The second features softer and more fluid pieces, such as chiffon, muslin and organza. And the final brooch is dedicated to Spain, with themes such as flamenco, boleros and lace, in a tribute to the country’s traditional dress and the materials of the Mediterranean textile tradition.