Balloon Dress with Pink Polka Dots

Cristóbal Balenciaga drew inspiration for the cut and decoration of this billowing ball gown from the costumes of the flamenco dancers in his native country Spain. The voluminous gathered skirt begins at waist level below a simple strapless corsage bodice with low, heart-shaped neckline. The billowing form is a result of the voluminous taffeta, which gathered loosely at the knee. The skirt is shorter in front, and a transverse shirring with a bow offers structure to the mass of fabric. A separate tie ribbon at the waist conceals the top of the skirt. Balenciaga had a tightly woven silk taffeta specially made for this design at the Lyon silk manufacturer Ducharne. The dot pattern was printed directly on the warp threads, which shifted slightly during the weaving process, there by causing the contours to become a little bit blurred, lending them a more delicate effect. Balenciaga had the striking large-scale dotted pattern, which he used frequently, woven in several colour schemes.