Long before the House of Balenciaga got hot for its studded, streamered leather handbags and its Space-Age Warrior Princess minidresses, it was reknown for the hyper-elegant creations of its founder, couturier Cristobal Balenciaga.  The exhibit “Balenciaga: Spanish Master” at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute on Park Avenue makes clear how little the image of the current brand has to do with Balenciaga’s inspired, rigorous, dream-like garments.

Balenciaga highlighted a woman’s neck and downplayed everything below with softly sculpted garments that hung away from the body.  His gowns and jackets create shapes that are architecturally structured but still tethered to the body like force fields.  One signature feature is an integral or removable cape, derived from a priest’s or matador’s coat, that masks and embellishes the wearer’s shoulders and arms.  The image of women sliding about in these caped garments, often handless and armless, is striking, surreal and graceful.  The dresses are like gorgeous cocoons.