V&A – X-Ray Dress silk scarf

Description

Cristobal Balenciaga didn’t use corsetry to create his dramatic, sculptural garments, so how did he create those iconic silhouettes?

To answer these questions, we called upon the world-famous X-ray artist Nick Veasey, who revealed the invisible details that underpin Balenciaga’s gowns. These images were so delicate and ethereal, that silk seemed to be the perfect fabric on which to recreate Veasey’s work.

X-ray photograph of silk taffeta evening dress by Cristobal Balenciaga, 1955, Paris, France. X-ray by Nick Veasey, 2016. © Nick Veasey