Balenciaga Museum

It was meant to be. For months, we had a set itinerary for our Mediterrenean cruise. And then, a few weeks before our departure, a foodie friend begged, "Don't you want to go to SanSe?" a.k.a. San Sebastian, a.k.a culinary capital of the world. Then, our stylist friend went online and said, "Then we can take a trip to the Balenciaga Museum." Among all designers, living and dead, Cristobal Balenciaga is my ultimate fave. Finally setting foot in Getaria, his hometown, and the museum dedicated to him, was akin to a religious experience for me.

We took the escalators up the hill to the museum.

At first you see a monolithic black facade, but as you get nearer, an older building becomes visible.

The concept of uniting the old Palacio Aldmar, home of the Marques and Marquesa de Alba Torres, grandparents of Queen Fabiola of Belgium and the original patrons of Balenciaga, was of Cuban architect Julian Argilagos', but the formal design of the building, as well as the interior design, was done by a young dynamic firm from Barcelona, AV62arquitectos.

They added cutout floral designs in the black metal interiors, "which add both lightness and depth" (from the museum website).

The space inside manages to be majestic and imposing yet also has its intimate moments.

A ramp leads to a viewing room with a video on the life and work of Balenciaga.

Seeing fashion historians, writers and fellow designers wax rhapsodic over the man simply known as The Master, made me tear up.

The dresses, coats and gowns are simply displayed. Some pieces are shown with the cut patterns with animation to demonstrate how they were sewn together.

Harold Koda of the Costume Institute of Art said, "by the end of his career, Balenciaga had distilled his work to its simplest form."

Coco Chanel called him the only true couturier of his times, because he was the only one who could draw, cut and sew a garment from start to finish.

Christian Dior said, "He was the master of us all."

Seeing the seams and pleats, and draping and tailoring of Balenciaga's masterpieces made me admire him even more. I didn't think it was possible, but I guess that is what true greatness is. It is infinite.

We all love Balenciaga!