Balenciaga Couture's 53rd Collection Reimagines the Ordinary Through Cristóbal's Lens

Cristóbal Balenciaga is heralded as "The Master" of haute couture, even many decades after his House closed in 1968 and his death four years later. The designer's exquisite and often radical creations--balloon hems and sack dresses among them--set the pace for what was to be expected on fashion's highest-end runways. Christian Dior once put it well: "Haute couture is like an orchestra whose conductor is Balenciaga. We other couturiers are the musicians, and we follow the direction he gives."So,...