“Balenciaga is an artist. Just as you ask Picasso what inspires a painting,
you can ask the man who turned clothing into an art form
how he came up with a collar.” Prudence Glynn
This series is inspired by the thirty years Cristóbal Balenciaga spent in Paris,
from his beginnings to becoming the king of haute couture.
IN THE PREVIOUS EPISODE
CLIENT (IN ENGLISH): I pay a fortune, and he is not coming?
Mr. Balenciaga never make an appearance.
(IN SPANISH) Nicolás suggested adding more shareholders.
I thought you might want to.
Seventh Avenue was full
of counterfeit Dior stores of terrible quality.
Publishing sketches fuels these fraudulent copies.
We have to stop the fashion magazines.
(IN FRENCH) I'm Hubert de Givenchy.
I'm thinking of launching a line of prêt-à-porter.
Instead of being copied, I'll copy myself.
Cristóbal gave me as a gift a portrait of me by Cassandre.
CRISTÓBAL: We would delay press shows for a month.
(IN SPANISH) How could you make it without me?
-You're playing with my money! -Then I'll give it to you!
I'm sorry it's ending like this.
(IN BASQUE) Goodbye, Cristóbal.
(IN FRENCH) I want to create a fabric. A fabric that's only for me.
That I can control.
MARCHIONESS (IN SPANISH): There he is. Look.
Right, Cristóbal?
WOMAN: Did the kid really make this?
MARCHIONESS: You have no idea. He's so talented.
-Look at that. -WOMAN: Unbelievable.
MARCHIONESS: He loves dresses.
He spent the whole summer inside my dressing room.
His mother fixes my dresses, and he helps.
One day he asked permission to copy one of my dresses,
and just look at it. What do you think?
It's amazing.
-Do you like it, Cristóbal? -Yes.
MARCHIONESS: I like it too, thank you.
-Shall we go? -Let's go.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
-FERNANDO: And it won't be fitted? -CRISTÓBAL: No more fitting.
It all rests on the shoulders.
And it has these weights, here...
and here.
CRISTÓBAL: And the weight of the bow
in the front helps balance the dress.
(IN FRENCH) Taiga, make the dress move as you walk.
Make it dance.
-That's it. -Dior is dead.
A heart attack.
PRUDENCE (IN SPANISH): And Dior, the biggest competitor, was gone.
YACHT CLUB SAN SEBASTIÁN, 1971
I never took it as competition.
But a lot of people did, apparently.
But you can't deny that with Dior gone,
you became the absolute king.
If there were any doubts left,
the international press crowned you as the Grand Master of High Fashion.
That's exaggerating.
PRUDENCE: It's what they wrote and said. You can't deny it.
What I can say is that my partner Nicolás was gone,
and no one could alter my craft anymore.
(SOFT PIANO MUSIC)
Actually, that was the only time in my life
where I did what I wanted, with no one to limit me.
(IN FRENCH) Like this, Tom.
Bring out the profile and the fall, from the top to the tail.
(IN SPANISH) We took our own photos,
and that was what the press could publish.
I decided what and how.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
(IN FRENCH) Yes, come here, quick.
Over here.
CRISTÓBAL (IN SPANISH): And suddenly, finally,
the perfect fabric for my designs.
(IN FRENCH) Leave it here, please.
Very well, thank you.
Did you know it has a name?
"Gazar."
The silk threads have been twisted twice.
It's malleable and can add volume without needing more weight.
CRISTÓBAL (IN SPANISH): Can you imagine the happiness you feel
when you own not only the design, but the fabric as well?
With the Gazar, it felt as if the dress was completely mine.
It was a sweet moment,
I won't deny it.
It's not easy.
You always have to compromise here and there.
And, suddenly, everything fits.
And flows like it should.
It happens very few times in life.
That's when it happened to me.
(LIGHTER CLICKS)
What it takes to get there...
and how quickly it falls from your grasp.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
CRISTÓBAL'S HOME MADRID, SEPTEMBER 1960
FELISA (IN SPANISH): Eighty-three.
Eighty-six.
Turn around, please.
Thirty-nine.
Forty-six.
Thirty-six. Slowly. Like that, thank you.
(CLEARS THROAT)
-Sixty-two, -CARMEN: Six, two.
-A pleasure. -Yes, thank you.
Now I need to see you walk,
just a few steps, no more...
Mm-hmm.
Very well.
Come back.
Come here.
If you could stand in front of the mirror, right in front.
Please.
Mm-hmm.
You saw that, didn't you?
(SIGHS) Well...
Let's see what we can do, right?
All my clients have something they don't like.
My job is to make it unnoticeable.
Don't worry.
You have a lot of work to do,
because I look more like Quasimodo everyday.
(CHUCKLES)
Don't laugh, please.
I've always felt ashamed of my body.
Just look at it, it's all wrong.
The hip, the shoulder, the back, all wrong.
Calm down, you'll look beautiful.
If you saw me naked...
There's no need.
Go into the bathroom and weigh yourself there, please.
(HEELS CLICKING)
FABIOLA: A hundred and twenty-five.
I'll send you this exact scale.
You mustn't weigh yourself with any other scale.
And from now on, take care not to gain or lose a single pound.
Some brides go crazy with the weight loss.
I'll leave you alone so you can get dressed.
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Oh! There you are.
Fabiola, we were talking about your great-grandmother.
Did you know that the first dress I made
was for the Marchioness of Casa Torres?
-And he was only 11. -I know, I know.
We always talked about that dress at home.
Sometimes I think about what my life would be
if your family didn't vacation in Getaria
and my mother hadn't been the one to fix your dresses.
As people say, the Lord's ways are inscrutable.
That's what life is.
Fifty years after making my first dress for your great-grandmother,
I'm now dressing you on the day that you are crowned Queen of Belgium.
It's an honor to have your talent for the wedding.
I'm very thankful that you accepted our request.
It's me who's thankful.
-Well, let's go. -Okay...
One moment.
It doesn't look like there's anyone.
You can leave now.
You don't know what it's been like.
They follow her everywhere.
We place our trust in Maison Balenciaga's discretion.
We'd like to keep the dress a secret until the last minute.
Of course.
I don't know if we can make dresses, but we have a talent for discretion.
(LAUGHTER)
Let's go. Goodbye.
THIS WEEK
NARRATOR (IN FRENCH): There will be no habit for King Baudouin.
At Ciergnon Castle, the king has introduced his fiancée,
Lady Fabiola of Mora and Aragón,
here with her mother and the Princess of Réthy.
The unexpected news has brought joy to Belgian hearts,
who missed...
BALENCIAGA'S HOUSE PARIS, OCTOBER 1960
CRISTÓBAL (IN SPANISH): A longer tail. Longer, don't be afraid.
What do you think, Fernando?
It's okay.
You think it's old-fashioned, right?
FERNANDO: Not at all.
Maybe it looks like Farah Diba's dress?
CRISTÓBAL: Don't say that, Fernando.
I thought for sure I was making something more unique.
It's not my favorite amongst your wedding dresses.
-But it's okay. -Unfortunately, I can't settle for okay.
Have you heard all the commotion in Spain?
The wedding will be broadcast. Everyone will watch it.
(WHISPERS) I have to think about it.
-Grab all this for me, please. -Okay.
(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES)
Are you okay?
Yes.
But I already told him about Farah Diba.
And he didn't listen.
(IN FRENCH) Dior's downward spiral is confirmed.
Saint Laurent's latest creations aren't landing well,
and he's been called to mandatory military service.
Boussac has replaced him with Marc Bohan.
My God.
If Christian saw this...
In any case, Maison Balenciaga is the most profitable high fashion house.
The numbers are reasonably good.
But...?
There's always a "but."
It's true that we have seen a drop in sales.
This isn't a just our problem, it's affecting all of high fashion.
We need to renew ourselves somehow.
Our clients' daughters aren't coming here.
They'd rather dress in other ways.
What do you mean "other ways"?
Prêt-à-porter?
That's what Pierre Cardin did.
Pierre Cardin was kicked out of the syndicate.
So were you, and now you care?
Predetermined sizing,
chain manufacturing...
At home, we always said to each their own.
I don't know how to make prêt-à-porter.
And even if I knew, I'm 65 years old.
I'm too old for these changes.
It's better to focus on what we know.
Excuse me.
(SOFT VIOLIN MUSIC)
How have your sales been these past few months?
(CUTLERY CLINKS)
Your Chanel No. 5 is going well, right?
Without the perfume, I would have closed shop long ago.
Why do you ask?
Tell me.
You're not considering prêt-à-porter, right?
Me? No.
My partners have suggested it.
But I don't see it.
Prêt-à-porter has no respect for the individuality of the body.
-Ha! -What?
It's not the individuality of the body you care about.
It's your individuality.
-I don't understand. -All of us
are used to delegating, letting others do, but you...
you need to control everything.
You teach your tailors to place the pins,
your seamstresses to sew, and your models to walk.
They're all extensions of you.
You're part of every dress you make.
What would you do if you made prêt-à-porter?
You're a king.
Listen, you're a king.
You're fit to dress queens.
By the way...
(LAUGHTER)
I'm sure that hick...
(LAUGHS)
...who will become Queen of Belgium has chosen you.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Liar.
I don't believe you.
I'm jealous of you. I've never done a royal wedding.
-I loved it. -WOMAN: Excuse me.
-Are you Coco Chanel? -Yes.
How exciting! I love your dresses.
May I have your autograph?
-Your name? -Michelle.
-You're beautiful. -Thank you. You're so elegant.
-Thank you. -Do you recognize him?
No, should I?
No, he's my brother.
Nice to meet you.
-Thank you, Miss Chanel. -Goodbye, madam.
(LAUGHTER)
CHANEL: When will you stop being so mysterious?
How about a photo shoot together?
You mean photos for ourselves?
-Or for the press? -For Women's Wear Daily.
I've accepted an interview with John Fairchild.
I'm sorry, but no.
I told Fairchild you'd do it. You have to do it for me.
You can't leave me stranded.
Coco, you know I'd do anything for you.
But don't ask me this.
Then don't say you'd do anything!
If Givenchy asked you, you'd do it.
Huh?
Coco, no.
I can't believe it, after everything I've done for you.
I've done lots for you too.
I've always defended you.
Tell that to my car.
CRISTÓBAL: Don't get upset, come on.
-(DOOR SHUTS) -(SIGHS)
(CAR DRIVES AWAY)
(LOCK CLICKS)
(DOOR CLOSES, KEYS CLINK)
-(WHISPERING IN SPANISH) Cristóbal. -Huh?
-Are you awake? -Yes.
How was your dinner?
Good.
What did you do?
I went out for a walk.
CRISTÓBAL: On your own?
Yes, you know I don't get lost.
Did you have fun?
RAMÓN: Yes.
Shall I go to my room?
Yes.
We should leave early tomorrow.
-(IN BASQUE) Sleep well. -Sleep well.
HOST (IN SPANISH): At the Barajas Airport,
the press and a crowd of onlookers wait patiently for Lady Fabiola.
On her arrival,
we see, again, the show of support and affection.
Fabiola greets the public, and the excitement grows
as she smiles thankfully at this welcoming public enthusiasm.
Leaving the airport,
a retinue awaits to accompany Lady Fabiola...
HOST 1: Lady Fabiola will happily work
with a famous Spanish fashion designer.
It has just been announced that Cristóbal Balenciaga will be the one
to design the dress for the wedding of the future Queen of Belgium,
who will look splendid in Belgium on her wedding day.
There it is.
-HOST 1: The Queen of the Belgians... -It's public now.
...has received large displays of love from all of Spain...
-(SIGHS) -...and from Madrid most of all...
This bores me so much.
HOST 1: ...where her charity work left a huge mark.
She is known for her work at the service of the Church...
(DRAMATIC MUSIC RISES)
BALENCIAGA - EISA MADRID, NOVEMBER 1960
TINA (IN SPANISH): Uncle, we can't just lose Felisa and Carmen.
They're essential here.
So, please, calculate how long you will need them for.
You're sure no one else has the key to this room, right?
Yes, I'm sure.
But...
(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)
My God, she's so disproportionate.
-We could have gotten Grace of Monaco. -Don't be silly, Ramón.
This is where we prove our worth.
It doesn't matter if the body is this way or that way.
When she wears it,
she will only see a balanced and proportionate shape.
Suck on that, prêt-à-porter!
As you can see,
the dress has a certain medieval inspiration.
-With a slightly low fit. -That's right.
CRISTÓBAL: Put it on. Take it off.
On, again.
Very well.
You're going to call all fabric providers.
We need double satin with raincoat lining. In ivory white.
And call José Luis to tell him we want 25 pieces of mink.
Twenty-five pieces?
-Exactly. -Exactly.
Pure silk.
Samples of everything he has.
Yes.
All in ivory white.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
(CAR ENGINE WHIRRING)
Thank you, Carmencita.
Go have some coffee and come back in an hour-and-a-half.
Right away.
We'll play only with the fabric.
No decorations, so the focus is solely on the royal tiara.
And, as I said, the mink will start...
on this boatneck and surround the whole cape.
Yes, I'd like to talk about the mink.
Won't it look too medieval?
Well... I do think it can add a regal look to it, but...
don't forget that you'll be queen.
Yes, but...
I don't want to look like the King of Spades.
(LAUGHS) Where did you get that from?
It has nothing to do with that.
I'm reminded of it.
Are you a Republican?
As a future queen, I'd like to know.
I'm surprised by the question.
I'm an old friend of your family.
Yes, but you were exiled in France during the war.
And your main business partner was a Republican.
I see you're well-informed.
(FABIOLA LAUGHS SOFTLY)
Spain was not a great place for business at that time.
Spain has changed a lot, thank God.
(SOFT BALLAD PLAYS ON RADIO)
I think you should take over for me in some business areas.
I can't stand more shareholders' meetings.
I just want to sew.
How are you dealing with your new tasks?
Well...
it's not easy, leading and people taking you seriously, but...
I'm managing, slowly.
I don't know.
What do you think?
You're doing well.
That's why I want to give you more responsibilities.
Very well.
I have to leave for Paris, but once I return,
I want everything ready for a first test.
Ramón will be in charge.
We've already spoken,
so any questions you may have, he will answer them.
Thank you for coming to work on a Sunday.
(RAMÓN CLEARS THROAT)
Well...
Carmen, you'll work with Natividad and Socorro on the skirt...
CARMEN: A-ha.
CRISTÓBAL'S HOME PARIS, NOVEMBER 1960
(CLEARS THROAT)
(KEYS CLINK)
(EXHALES)
(MYSTERIOUS MUSIC)
(SUITCASE CLATTERS)
Consuelo!
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACH)
Good afternoon, sir.
-How was your trip? -Good, good.
What's this?
They brought it yesterday.
(PAPER RIPS)
(SIGHS)
BALENCIAGA - EISA MADRID, NOVEMBER 1960
(CHUCKLES)
We have to cut the skirt and sew it again.
Why?
See these wrinkles?
Cristóbal won't accept them.
But we can't. It can't be done better.
Those wrinkles show up because mink doesn't mold like silk.
Carmen is right.
The small excess must be fitted with a minimal tuck.
It can't be done better.
Well, I...
I'd rather you do it again.
Our work must be perfect.
Well, then...
We'll sew it again, Ramón, but it will be for naught.
It won't look better.
Thank you, Carmen.
GIVENCHY'S HOME PARIS, NOVEMBER 1960
(IN FRENCH) My assistant, Courrèges, is leaving to work on his own.
Really?
Mm.
I'm also leaving Givenchy for a new project.
These kids are promising.
Like Yves Saint Laurent?
Did you know he's in a psych ward?
Poor man.
These things are really changing.
You're only 35.
You're younger than I was when I arrived in Paris.
Younger than Dior when he launched his "New Look."
I wish I were 30 years younger...
Thanks for the drink.
Oh, Coco!
Did you know she's mad at me?
She wanted us to do a photo shoot together for this magazine.
I rarely show myself.
I wasn't about to do it for this sensationalist rubbish.
What does our friend say?
Nothing important.
I don't understand English, but if I read "Balenciaga,"
I know she's talking about me.
Translate for me, please.
"I dined with Balenciaga recently.
He was so charming.
But his Maison is so serious,
so conservative, so Spanish...
This attitude can be detrimental for creativity."
Well...
This type of comment is great for sales.
What are friends for!
What else does she say about me?
-PHILIPPE: The other day, at a party... -HUBERT: Philippe!
The other day at a party... what, Philippe?
End the sentence!
The other day at a party in Marie-Louise Bousquet's house...
she said that it's easy to tell that you don't know women.
What?
That it's the only explanation
for why you expose the lines on their necks.
She says that at parties?
I told you not to trust her.
Now that I think about it,
I don't know if it was Coco Chanel who said it
or if Marie-Louise Bousquet told us what Coco said...
(KEYS CLINK)
(MELANCHOLIC MUSIC)
(RAIN PATTERING)
(THUNDER RUMBLES)
(BOYS LAUGHING)
(LAUGHTER CONTINUES)
(MELANCHOLIC MUSIC CONTINUES)
ANNOUNCER: Passengers bound for Nice
and scheduled to depart at 3:37 p.m.
should go to gate three.
(INDISTINCT LAUGHTER)
WLADZIO (IN SPANISH): Calm down, Cristóbal.
She won't recognize you.
Barely anyone has seen you.
How many photos of you have been published?
How could she be so cruel
to say in front of everyone that I like men?
She didn't tell everyone.
She said it at a party.
Just give it time.
Oh, my...
What if she mentions it in an interview?
I think you're misinterpreting what Philippe told you.
Chanel probably meant that you, as a man,
can't understand women completely.
We've sewn it multiple times, but we can't find the perfect finish.
Oh, Ramón, it's so obvious that you can't sew.
This can't be done better.
Great work, Carmencita.
Thank you.
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDE)
WOMAN: Fernando Martínez.
CRISTÓBAL: Yes, Fernando.
FERNANDO: Did you hear about Women's Wear Daily?
What do you mean?
The sketches for Fabiola's dress.
Someone leaked them. They're on the cover.
I've been told that they'll be published on ¡HOLA! as well.
Tell me you're joking.
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
I just can't wrap my head around it. I don't understand.
Everybody talking about us.
What a disgrace!
I don't understand!
It can't have left this room.
Shut up, Ramón!
Don't look for excuses! You were responsible!
We've always kept everything a secret.
How can it come to light now?
What's going on?
How can it leak now?
Everyone's talking about us.
(DOOR OPENS)
(SIGHS)
They're identical.
The English press has compared it to a hit on the Bank of England.
Cristóbal, I'm moving out.
What nonsense is this, Ramón?
You mistreat me. You speak to me in ways you'd never dare speak to others.
What are you saying? I yell at everyone.
Yeah, but you especially yell at me.
That's because we're close!
I yell at you just like I yell at myself!
You're the one I like most, Ramón!
What a way to show it, then.
Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing here.
What are you doing?
Do I need to explain?
I've turned you into my right-hand man.
I've brought you into my home,
disregarding what people might say.
Wow, thank you.
You say that like it's charity work.
Chanel is telling people that it's obvious that I don't like women.
She didn't say it like that.
You knew and you said nothing?
Don't listen to that crazy hag.
Ramón, tell me the truth.
How many stories like that are there about me?
None that I know of.
I'm so ashamed.
Do you know if my nephews and nieces have heard this?
I don't think so.
I hate when people talk about me.
I think you'd be happier if you accepted that it can't be stopped.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYS)
WOMAN: Did the kid really make this?
MARCHIONESS: Yes. His mother fixes my dresses, and he helps.
You have no idea, he's so talented.
Do you like it, Cristóbal?
(MELANCHOLIC MUSIC)
(MUSIC GROWS LOUDER)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
(KNOCKING CONTINUES)
(MUSIC ENDS)
(SIGHS)
What happened? That's all we asked!
Discretion, discretion, discretion!
-It had to be a secret! -I apologize.
I don't know how it could have happened. Nothing like this has ever happened to me.
(SIGHS)
I'm sorry for acting like this.
I apologize.
(STUTTERS) I'm really nervous, with everything that's happening.
-Would you like to sit? -Yes.
Yes.
I'm being followed. They're following me everywhere.
I leave my house, and I'm being followed.
I open the newspaper, and there I am.
(STAMMERS) If I turn on the television, I...
If I go to the movie theater...
And I've always liked being invisible.
In a few days, I'll be exposing myself to the world.
Everyone in Spain will watch my wedding on television.
(WHISPERS) Oh, God...
I wish I could be like you.
Like Greta Garbo, right?
Having the power to disappear.
But...
I can't, I...
That's what I get for falling in love with a king.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
Besides...
it could have been my sister.
Or even my mother.
They both know what the dress looks like.
They could have mentioned it... at the hairdresser.
In any case, it's done.
And, anyway, I've always denied any sketches.
A sketch has nothing to do with the final dress.
I've been told...
that you usually hide things in the seams,
and that if you hide a small note with a wish,
the wish comes true.
I'd like you to hide it without reading it.
Of course.
(CHUCKLES)
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
(LOUD GRINDING)
(QUIET MUSIC PLAYS)
(SOFT LAUGHTER)
Be careful. No one can see this.
The annotations.
And don't touch the dress until I get there.
Let's go.
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDE)
(DISTANT FOOTSTEPS)
(MUSIC RISES)
(REFLECTIVE MUSIC)
-Carmencita! -CARMEN: Yes?
The royal tiara.
I'm carrying it?
-Very carefully, please. -Yes.
-Of course. -Thank you.
(SIGHS) Well, that's it.
Call me once you arrive at your hotel in Brussels.
We'll talk then.
Go.
Have a safe trip!
(ENGINE PUTTERS)
ZAVENTEM AIRPORT BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 1960
(LIGHT MUSIC PLAYS)
RAMÓN: It was incredible. I could not believe it.
Six motorbikes flanked us all the way to Laeken Palace.
That's something prêt-à-porter will never achieve...
Being flanked by six motorbikes.
I'm not being nostalgic.
It's just different.
What did Fabiola's note say?
I don't know, I never read it.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
HOST (IN SPANISH): And the entourage arrives at Boulevard de l'Empereur,
where it marches on amidst incessant clamoring
towards the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.
(COMMOTION)
In the transept, adorned with carnations from Spain,
the religious ceremony will be held.
This place is the ideal setting to welcome the couple,
an entire country wishes to see married.
Those sleeves...
They look perfect to me.
You can't tell one shoulder's higher than the other,
or that her back is bent.
(LAUGHTER)
It's wonderful, uncle.
(TELEVISION COMMENTARY CONTINUES)
Father would have loved to see this.
(TELEVISION COMMENTARY CONTINUES)
(REFLECTIVE MUSIC RISES)
(REFLECTIVE MUSIC CONTINUES)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HOST: The people have seen their queen, and they wish to see her again.
Finally, the royal couple appears on the balcony.
Two young people have joined their fates on this memorable date,
two young people who are king and queen.
(APPLAUSE)
(TELEVISION COMMENTARY CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY)
(APPLAUSE CONTINUES)
(REFLECTIVE MUSIC CONTINUES)
(PRIEST SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY IN FRENCH)
(IN FRENCH) Excuse me.
Good afternoon, madam.
Did you know that you can take your coat to Maison Balenciaga
to have it ironed?
-Sorry? -I saw that the plaid doesn't fall...
Sorry, but I don't know who you think you are
to insinuate that my coat is ruined.
That's my coat.
I'm Cristóbal Balenciaga.
Nice to meet you, but you're wrong.
The coat is mine, I paid for it,
and I can wear it however I want.
Good afternoon.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS)
(END THEME MUSIC PLAYS)
(MUSIC CONTINUES)