I just went to the fabulous Balenciaga and Spain exhibit at San Francisco’s de Young Museum and was blown away by the powerful work of Spanish haute couture master Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972).

courtesy of New York Times, Andrew Fox

Balenciaga’s fashion sense was strongly influenced by Spanish art, dance and even religious traditions. But unlike many designers who hide their original influences behind layers of material, Balenciaga wasn’t afraid to take easily recognizable silhouettes like a monk’s pointed cape and transform it into a brown raincoat (see the last mannequin on the right) or take a nun’s robe and make it into a chic wedding dress (see center).

His other major influence were the traditional costumes of Spanish bullfighters, from which came many stylish hats, shirts and, a personal favorite of mine, a black cape with delicate pink pompoms.

Balenciaga’s other influences ranged from the lavish ornaments of the old Spanish royal court seen in paintings by Velasquez to the geometric shapes in the modern paintings of his friend Joan Miro.

Walking around the exhibit it really seemed like Balenciaga could take anything – from a monk’s simple robe to a fisherwoman’s tucked skirt – and transform it into true haute couture, while preserving the costume traditions of the Spanish people. No wonder he was referred to as “the master of us all” by Christian Dior.

The exhibit closes on July 4, so if you live in San Francisco and care about fashion, go N-O-W!