Haute Couture evening cocktail dress by Balenciaga's Felisa Irigoyen, c. 1960s

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About the Item

An exquisite, elaborate and one off Haute Couture cocktail dress, circa late 1960s. The dress was made by Felisa Irigoyen who was head of the Balenciaga Fantasy Couturier and sewed the wedding dress of Queen Fabiola of Belgium and Carmen Martinez Bordiú. Balenciaga considered her a brilliant dressmaker, however she was anonymous to the general public, but loved and adored by the clients of Balenciaga, she was essential to the atelier. When Queen Fabiola of Belgium donated her wedding dress to the Balenciaga museum she asked the only condition was that Felisa Irigoyen restores it. PROVENANCE The original owners of the dress was Mrs. Carmen Pozo and her husband Mr. Jose Luis Molina Zumel, a famous Spanish fur designer. José Luis acquired Balenciaga dresses for his wife as he greatly admired Cristobal Balenciaga’s work. During the years the collection of dresses reached almost two hundred pieces. Later on, most of them were donated to the Cristobal Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, Spain. Carmen Pozo considered one of the Spanish most elegant ladies from her time, married one of the most famous fur designers, Jose Luis Molina Zumel, in 1952 and one year later his son Rodolfo was born. When Balenciaga closed all his houses in Paris, Madrid, Barcelona and San Sebastian due to the crisis of haute couture, as he rejected the idea of going into the Prêt-à-porter business, Jose Luis asked Felisa Irigoyen to colaborate with him and they opened in 1969 the “ Felisa and José Luis “ in the street Genova 19, Madrid. Once Cristobal Balenciaga retired, Jose Luis Molina finally met him at his own atelier, when the couturier decided to came out of "retirement" to design the wedding gown for Maria Carmen Martinez-Bordiu y Franco, granddaughter of General Franco, who wed Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cadiz and Grandson of King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1972, as he chose the “ Jose Luis and Felisa“ Atelier to execute the wedding gown.

Designer:
Felisa Irigoyen
Brand:
Felisa and José Luis
Dimensions:
Marked Size: Approx. Eu 38 (EU)
Place of Origin:
Spain
Period:
1960-1969
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU14021435843

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