The Exhibition

The exhibition path unfolds through a play of light and shadows, marked by the alternation of two hues: the butter-white of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s atelier at 10 George V in Paris and the deep black of the house’s most iconic creations. The dresses, displayed on tall minimalist structures and placed in the center of lighting that creates sharp contours and dramatic shadows, are presented as works of art, three-dimensional sculptures that interact with space and the viewer. The exhibition explores various aspects of Cristóbal’s vision: the tension between structure and softness, the bold use of geometric shapes, the delicate balance between references to tradition and strong innovation, and the use of symbols that become immediately iconic.

In a sequence marked by spatial counterpoints made up of stairs, pedestals, mirrors, and draperies, the installation highlights lines, folds, and volumes, emphasizing the architectural aspect of the dresses, accompanied by a selection of high-craftsmanship Spanish footwear whose forms harmoniously engage with the timeless elegance of the garments.

The exhibition is circular: it begins and ends with a tribute to the grand white draperies that still distinguish the Maison’s atelier today. Each visitor thus has the feeling of participating in the designer’s creative workshop, experiencing the same atmosphere in which each Cristóbal Balenciaga fashion show is prepared. The rooms do not necessarily follow a didactic temporal sequence. Instead, they prioritize the desire to tell the many facets of the couturier: the relationship with innovation and tradition, the strong bond with his clients, evening gowns, the depth of black, the bridal dress, and the crystal gown; a kaleidoscope of true wearable architectures that express Cristóbal’s contemporary genius.

The setup thus constitutes an immersive journey made up not only of the works on display but also of stage settings, words, images, and documents that open up the understanding of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s personality, a man from the 20th century who remains a reference point and a source of inspiration for the fashion world, both present and future.

Elisa Ossino Studio, founded in 2006 by Elisa Ossino, is a multidisciplinary studio focusing on residential and retail interiors, product design, exhibition and creative direction.

Elisa Ossino is an architect and designer. Sicilian, she trained in Milan, where she studied at the Polytechnic. Her research combines geometric abstraction,  onochromes, metaphysical and surrealist references, creating a coherent and allusive relationship between space, identified by the strong stroke of her sign, light and objects. Inspiring Elisa’s compositional style is a figure of suspension, recurring in the design lightness of each intervention. She favors essential lines and geometries that are translated in space into signs capable of giving a marked scenographic sense. The metaphysical nuance of her objects, their atmospheric  and immaterial quality, is combined with stylistic references that look to modernism and Bauhaus, primitivism and surrealism. Her work often invokes a strongly pictorial dimension, traceable to the two dimensions. The deep interest in the preciousness of craftsmanship, capable of producing unique outcomes, coexists in every activity of the Studio with experimentation with new materials, inspired by circular economy processes.

Over the years, Elisa Ossino has collaborated with Amini, Boffi, Cartier, Cristina Rubinetterie, De Castelli, De Padova, Dieffebi, Fantini, Foscarini, Hermes, Living Divani, Molteni, Porro, Rubelli, Salvatori, Trussardi, V-Zug, Viccarbe, Zanotta, and is Creative Director of Amini and Dieffebi.

She has received prestigious national and international awards, including Red Dot Award in the Best of the Best category, Honorable Mention at Compasso d’Oro ADI, iF Design Award, Edida Award and Best of Interiors of Elle Decor Italy. Her name has been listed several times among the AD100 in the AD Architectural Digest network. The popup store designed for Hermes won the Prix Versailles 2021. In 2018 she was named Young Designer Talent and in 2021 Designer of the Year by Elle Decor Japan.

In 2016 Elisa Ossino Studio created the anniversary exhibition Lumiere for Foscarini, at the Palazzo della Triennale in Milan. In 2016, she created the scenography for the dance theater performance TreD at the Teatro dell’Arte of the Triennale. Exhibitions include La casa fluida (2021) and Material Home (2024), conceived for Elle Decor at Palazzo Bovara during Design Week, and Augusto Betti Artista + Designer for Paradiso Terrestre, at Galleria Sozzani, in 2023.

In 2016 she was part of the W-Women in Italian Design, the ninth edition of the Triennale Design Museum presented at the 21st edition of the Milan Triennale International Exhibition.

In 2021 she was included among the new excellences in the RebelBiennale2021 exhibition of the Venice Architecture Biennale – Italy Pavilion. The Venice Design Biennale dedicated her solo exhibition Una stanza tutta per sé in 2021; in 2023 she participated in a group show with Del sentire.

She has been a lecturer for several years at the IUAV University of Venice at the Master’s Degree “Interactive Media for Interior Design” and at Istituto Marangoni at the Master’s Degree in Product Design. She has given talks at the Politecnico of Milano and at H-Farm.