Balenciaga in Black Brings Paris to Fort Worth: All-Black Clothes and Chic Visions

We couldn’t get to Fort Worth fast enough.

For months, our anticipation grew as we waited for the opening of “Balenciaga in Black,” a retrospective of couturier Cristobal Balenciaga’s all-black oeuvre, which runs through January 6 at the Kimbell Art Museum.

Finally, the eve arrived and we made the drive west, arriving to the Kimbell’s gorgeous Renzo Piano pavilion, where a glamorous dinner for 200 was set. Table décor was in theme with the exhibition, black on black; crystal chandeliers were hung from the ceiling; and the caviar course was served with generous amounts of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.

Of course, fashion was an important part of the evening — and few were dressed more appropriately (or more chic) than the Kimbell’s curator for Asian and non-western art Jenxnifer Casler Price, who wore a black, vintage Givenchy dress that her mother wore to the White House in the 1960s. (You’ll remember, Hubert de Givenchy was Balenciaga’s foremost protégé).

Also adding to the evening’s Parisian-chic vibes was the attendance of Gaspard de Masse and Miren Arzalluz, in town from Paris. The former is Balenciaga’s head archivist, and the latter is the director of the Palais Galliera in Paris, which organized the exhibition.

All mingled with the Kimbell’s top brass, including Eric Lee, George Shackelford, Jessica Bandrup, and Kimbell Wynne.