At the 2024 Met Gala, themed “The Garden of Time,” Balenciaga showed a stunning collection of dresses that reinterpreted archival couture pieces from the brand. Held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the event had Balenciaga dressing a number of celebrities from various fields, each outfit being a unique interpretation of the theme. The pieces varied from gowns that referenced the rich heritage of the fashion house, including adaptations of designs from the 20th century, to modern designs that incorporated innovative materials like aluminum-bonded sculptural fabrics.
The highlights of the evening were the custom outfits worn by Balenciaga’s brand ambassadors and guests, each reflecting a specific decade of fashion history. Isabelle Huppert’s gown was a modern reimagining of a 1930s wedding dress by Callot Sœurs. Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh and Nicole Kidman wore pieces that paid homage to Balenciaga’s designs from the 1940s and 1950s, each outfit incorporating cutting-edge textile technology. Award-winning actress Naomi Watts wore a crystal-embroidered lace dress with a padded stole that reimagines a 1961 Balenciaga design.
The sustainable fashion efforts were particularly exemplified by Rachel Sennott’s gown, constructed from upcycled sequin-embroidered dresses and an aged grosgrain corset. The event overall celebrated the cyclical nature of fashion, the creating something both new and nostalgic, with Balenciaga offering another way of referencing it’s historic pieces within innovative designs.
The pearl silk satin gown worn by brand ambassador and award-winning French actress Isabelle Huppert, taking over 300 hours to create, was inspired by a 1930 Callot Soeurs wedding ensemble, reflecting the craftsmanship of Huppert’s great-grandmother’s era. Highlighted in a series of behind-the-scenes videos by Balenciaga, the dress featured labor-intensive techniques such as hand-embroidered tulle and a 14.5-foot scalloped train, along with a vintage effect achieved through meticulous distressing processes.
Nicole Kidman graced the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a stunning reinterpretation of a Cristóbal Balenciaga design from the Spring Summer 1951 collection, previously captured by Richard Avedon. Over 1,200 hours of meticulous craftsmanship went into the gown, made in Rome, which featured a graphic black-and-white design with a silk satin bustier and a dramatically flared skirt with hand-frayed organza to resemble feathers.
Naomi Watts made a stunning appearance in a unique gown, made out of an upcycled vintage black lace tablecloth. The lace was dyed black, draped over a custom corset tailored to Watts’s measurements, and embellished with an elaborate mix of sequins, jet beads, and black crystals, highlighting the fabric’s original patterns. The gown, a reinterpretation of “Summer 24 look 63,” also included a tiered stole reminiscent of an archival piece from Balenciaga’s Spring Summer 1961 collection, reimagined with modern satin and padding, completed with black opera gloves and Pantashoes.
Michelle Yeoh wore a gown that took over 200 hours to craft, made out of innovative silver aluminum-overlayed material that can be crinkled and rearranged. Inspired by Cristóbal Balenciaga’s 1940s ballroom gowns, the fabric’s modern adaptation allowed Balenciaga’s artisans to create intricate, sculptural draping that emphasized Yeoh’s movements.
