Materials as a source of innovation and creativity in the fashion industry

ACTIVITY FOR THE END OF THE «BALENCIAGA MASTER OF LACE» EXHIBITION

Cristóbal Balenciaga had a deep knowledge of fabrics that enabled him to choose and adapt their technical features and obtain the most out of their aesthetic and functional contributions. As a result and to achieve this, he frequently explored new uses and new textile materials that could allow him to materialise his creations. An example of this is lace, the central feature of the «Balenciaga through lace» exhibition, a ubiquitous material in the couturier’s work which he knew, like no one else, how to recover, reinterpret and reintroduce, conquering for it a place of honour in the context of contemporary fashion.

Today, scientific research, technological applications, the progress of new sociological paradigms and the new trends in consumer behaviour provide a fertile context for the formulation of new materials and their adoption in the world of fashion. Although the nature, composition, possibilities of use and availability of new materials is very diverse, we consider that making a selection and showing a selection of tangible examples of new materials with a practical application is the most direct formula to showcase the huge potential for innovation and differentiation imbued in them.

The session proposed, therefore, consists of a historical perspective with an appreciation of the contributions made by Cristóbal Balenciaga in this field presented by Catherine Join-Diéterle, Honorary Curator of French Heritage, former director of the Palais Galliera Museum and curator of the «Balenciaga Master of lace» exhibition, and of a current perspective that will present research and trends in both production and in the use of new materials in fashion now and in the near future, under the guidance of Micol Costi, Director of Library & Material Research of the Material ConneXion consultancy.

Date: Saturday 17 September.

Timetable: From 11:00am to 1:30pm approx.

Programme:

11:00am Presentation of the initiative, presentations and speakers

11:10am-12:00am Catherine Join-Diéterle.

Materials in the creations by Cristóbal Balenciaga

12:00am-12:30am Coffee break

12:30am-1:20pm Micol Costi.

Material innovation for fashion: the disruptive shape of textiles to come

Unguided visit to the Balenciaga Master of lace exhibition

Free admission. Limited places. Registration required.

BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE SPEAKERS

Catherine Join-Diéterle. Holder of a degree in Political Sciences, a PhD in History of Art and curator, Catherine Join-Diéterle spent fifteen years heading the Department of Objects of Art at the Petit Palais Museum in Paris. In 1988 she joined the Galliera Museum ,which she directed from 1989 to 2009 and where she curated several exhibitions, such as «Robes du soir», «Givenchy», «Marlene Dietrich», «Sous l’Empire des crinolines», etc. She founded the fashion chair at the Louvre School, where she taught for six years. Despite being retired, she continues to be involved in teaching and in organising exhibitions; in 2012, for example, she organised for the National Centre for Stage Costume and Scenography in Moulins «L’Envers du décor», dedicated to the history of scenography in the 19th century and based on her doctoral thesis, and has been involved in the organisation of the exhibition «Balenciaga through lace», fruit of the collaboration of the Calais Museum of Lace and the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum in Getaria.

Micol Costi. Director of Library & Materials Research, she is a member of the team of consultants at Material ConneXion. Her function is to direct the assessment of materials in order to achieve innovative products and processes. She is an expert in several fields that range from product design to architecture, from the automotive sector and furniture to packaging and fashion. She has curated exhibitions on the innovative designs of materials and design for sustainability, and has co-authored publications on advanced materials and the development of sustainable materials. She organises workshops on innovative materials and offers conferences and round tables, focusing, among other subjects, on the opportunities offered by material solutions and cutting-edge technological transfers. In addition, she has given lectures and conferences at several universities and design schools.