Balenciaga Opening Gala at the de Young Museum

On Saturday night the de Young Museum held an opening night gala to celebrate the glamour and elegance of the legendary Balenciaga. The black-tie evening was full of San Francisco’s fashion elite. Handsome men in tuxedos and fashionistas in astonishing gowns made the evening a truly grand affair. I enjoyed the Spanish-influenced cocktail list, the tasty hors d’oeuvres, the sophisticated décor and the informative tours of the haute couture master Christobal Balenciaga.

The grand collection, curated by Vogue European editor-at-large Hamish Bowles, illustrated the impact of Spanish culture, religion and history evident in the work of the legendary couturier. Imagine matadors, red cardinals, nuns, and Baroque shapes vividly present across his bright yellow, black lace and red silk gowns.

The six sections of the exhibition are titled Spanish Art, Regional Dress, the Spanish Court, Religious Life and Ceremony, the Bullfight, and Dance. While cruising along the perfectly lit galleries of endless silks with rich colors, embroideries and dresses displaying the pinnacle of craftsmanship I realized that his past creations continue inspire the collections of todays hottest fashion gurus. Any girl today would die to wear the designs that Balenciaga created in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. His designs are timeless and this is the true definition of art in fashion!

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About the author

When the two met in Southern California in 2001, Lena and Anastassia instantly hit it off and began to share their experiences and visions. Together, they were actively involved in the fashion and art scenes while building strong relationships of stylists, designers, artists and editors across Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. Professionally, the two have combined experience in public relations for luxury jewelry line, music and entertainment management, production of fashion shows and national advertising commercials. They have collaborated on projects as stylists, buyers and editors. They also shared the love of shopping. Frustrated with sample sale experience of cold warehouses, random selection of merchandise, and uninviting environment, Lena and Anastassia set out to develop a project that provides high-end boutique experience at sample sale events. Duo’s involvement with the art world led to engage emerging local artists. As strong believers in giving back, the team decided to involve charitable organizations, and create their events as series of charitable fashion shopping and art social events. In the summer of 2010 stars aligned and Project Lena was born. With the launch of PROJECT LENA, sample sales are now thought of as luxurious boutique events with elements of art and giving back. The birth of the PROJECT LENA Blog was the inevitable next step. Both Lena and Anastassia have so much to share about the world of art, expression, fashion, beauty. They blog about what is current, what is new, what is here to stay, they spot trends ahead of their time. They share interviews of their exciting network of industry insiders, museum curators, designers and stylists. Anastassia B.