Alaïa and Balenciaga on display at the Textile Museum in Prato For its fiftieth anniversary, the museum brings together two titans of haute couture

Balenciaga built garments like architectural structures, achieving an elegance of proportions and lines that defy gravity. Alaïa, on the other hand, sculpted the body with the precision of an anatomist, turning knitwear and leather into instruments of seduction. The two couturiers shared humble origins, skillful hands, and an absolute faith in the art of tailoring. The exhibition brings to Italy for the first time twelve original Balenciaga sketches with technical notes and fabric samples, alongside vintage photographs that tell the story of a masterpiece’s creation. And beside them, Alaïa: the last true couturier, who stopped time by choosing to present his collections only when they were ready, outside the logic of the fashion calendar.

There exists an even more intimate connection between the two. When, in 1968, Balenciaga closed his atelier, his longtime collaborator Renée entrusted Alaïa with some of the couturier’s creations. It was a revelatory moment: by touching those fabrics, Alaïa recognized the perfection that would guide his entire career. From that moment on, Balenciaga became for him both a starting point and a constant inspiration. The journey concludes with Joe McKenna’s film dedicated to Alaïa’s life and an unreleased video from the Balenciaga archives, showcasing the Haute Couture collections of 1960 and 1968. With this project, the Textile Museum celebrates its fiftieth anniversary and reaffirms its mission to preserve the memory of fashion.