PARIS — Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga, who reigned at the top of his profession for three decades, was known as the most demanding designer of his generation. But that didn’t stop Bina Daigeler from copying some of his most famous works for “Cristóbal Balenciaga,” the highly anticipated Disney+ series that chronicles the life of the mysterious master.
“I didn’t hesitate. “I thought, wow, this is such an amazing project and what a huge responsibility,” the award-winning costume designer told WWD in an interview ahead of the streaming show’s European release on Friday.
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“I am also a perfectionist and my biggest advantage in a project like this is [training] “It comes from Haute Couture, so I’m a tailor too,” he said.
The six-episode Spanish-language series is a film costumer’s dream, as fashion drives the plot, focusing on the period between 1937, when the designer presented his first haute couture collection in Paris, and his death in 1972.
Since Balenciaga rarely appears in public and only gives a handful of interviews, the only thing adequately documented is his work.
When it came to research, Daigeler and his co-designer Pepo Ruiz Dorado were able to rely on the help of the house Balenciaga, which is now owned by French luxury group Kering, as well as Palais Galliera fashion director Miren Arzalluz. museum in Paris and former president of the Cristóbal Balenciaga Foundation in Getaria, Spain.
“We had the opportunity to see some of the dresses in life, but then my workroom was in Madrid, so we had to make them all based on pictures and books,” the German-born designer said. Who moved to Spain in the 80s.
“The research process is so important because when you look at all these photographs from that time and study them, you really train your eye and that helps you translate it into your own work,” he added.
Balenciaga teams shared sketches, photos and videos from their archives and access to the couture salons at 10 Avenue George V. The house revitalized the address when its current creative director, Demna, showcased his first couture collection in 53 years in 2021. fully restored version of the original site.
In-house experts also reviewed the script with directors Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga, who, like Balenciaga himself, hail from the Basque region, located along the Bay of Biscay on the border between France and Spain.
In order to portray the main character, Spanish actor Alberto San Juan had to learn both French and Basque, as well as sewing techniques.
The Balenciaga family said in a statement that it wanted to “promote integrity and provide a compelling narrative that will reflect Cristóbal Balenciaga’s journey.” However, the story remains fictional and a free interpretation of Disney+. Balenciaga is not responsible for exact accuracy, timeline or artistic choices.”
Since Balenciaga’s personality remains a mystery even to fashion experts, many will enjoy scenes reminiscent of his relationships with peers such as Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Christian Dior, and, most of all, Hubert de Givenchy, who considered him a mentor. The film also highlights his life and his business partners Wladzio d’Attainville and Ramón Esparza.
The series aims to shed light on the multi-layered personality of the designer, who never attends rehearsals or bows at the end of his shows, providing a template for elusive creative directors from Martin Margiela to Hedi Slimane.
“He was ahead of his time in marketing and communications strategies, art and business control, and the identity of his fashion designs. He was fashion’s first creative director, and his life and work have a surprisingly contemporary and up-to-date reading,” said Sofía Fábregas, vice president of original production at Disney+ Spain.
Daigeler, whose credits include Spanish productions such as Pedro Almodóvar’s “All About My Mother” and “Volver” as well as international films and television series such as “Narcos,” “Snowden,” “Mulan” and “Tár,” was clearly successful. To tackle such a huge undertaking.
Her next project is “Mother Mary,” another style-focused project starring Anne Hathaway as a fictional pop star and Michaela Coel as a fashion designer. But equipping the “Balenciaga” cast was particularly complicated.
“I learned a lot; For example, preparing fashion shows. “This wasn’t something I was used to, so learning to find the right style for each dress was a very interesting process,” she said, choosing Nine d’Urso, the daughter of French style icon Inès. de la Fressange, who plays longtime house model Colette.
“He was truly amazing,” Daigeler enthused. “He has exactly the right attitude and image.”
The costume designer directed most of the fashion show segments in the series, which also included Dior and Chanel collections. “Both houses helped us,” he said, noting that Dior’s famous Bar jacket was reproduced by Atelier Caraco, a private atelier in Paris.
Meanwhile, Chanel worked with Daigeler on looks worn by French actress Anouk Grinberg, who played Coco Chanel, and borrowed archival pieces from costume jewelers Goossens and Desrues. The specialist workshops Maison Michel, Massaro and Lemarié also produced hats, shoes and fabric flowers.
“We tried to be very original and give these amazing designers and these amazing haute couture houses the recognition they deserve,” explained Daigeler.
He also had to show garments in various stages of construction for the workshop scenes, which provide insight into why reproducing Balenciaga’s intricate architectural creations is so daunting.
Described by Dior as “the master of us all”, Balenciaga has been revered by clients, fashion critics and peers for his technical mastery and his relentless reinvention of the female silhouette with revolutionary designs such as the cocoon coat and sack dress.
“This is a huge challenge because not only [do] You have to get the prototype and the shape right, but also get the right fabrics, and that’s a big challenge because fabrics today don’t weigh the same anymore,” Daigeler said.
“The wools are much softer now and they no longer have that hard body that the wools had in the 40s and 50s. “He also used a lot of heavy silk, and we were lucky to find gazar, which was similar to the famous fabric that Balenciaga uses, and that helped a lot,” he said.
Daigeler admits that he struggled with balloon shapes, but had the chance to work with a modeler trained on Balenciaga’s team.
Standout costumes in the show include the white satin and mink wedding dress worn by Spanish aristocrat Fabiola de Mora y Aragón for her wedding to King Baudoin of Belgium in 1960. Daigeler was reluctant to describe it as Balenciaga’s masterpiece.
“I can’t decide which one is his masterpiece because there are so many interesting shapes,” he said. “Sometimes he actually made sculptures and I think that was his masterpiece, he didn’t follow the mainstream. He definitely has his own style and has constantly progressed. His masterpiece was progress.”
Launch Gallery: Inside the Disney+ series “Cristóbal Balenciaga.”
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