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Mary Blume
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The Master of Us All: Balenciaga, His Workrooms, His World Hardcover – February 5, 2013

by Mary Blume (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 108 ratings
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A sparkling life of the monumental fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga

When Cristóbal Balenciaga died in 1972, the news hit the front page of The New York Times. One of the most innovative and admired figures in the history of haute couture, Balenciaga was, said Schiaparelli, "the only designer who dares do what he likes." He was, said Christian Dior,"the master of us all."

But despite his extraordinary impact, Balenciaga was a man hidden from view. Unlike today's celebrity designers, he saw to it that little was known about him, to the point that some French journalists wondered if he existed at all. Even his most notable and devoted clients―Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Hutton, a clutch of Rothschilds―never met him.

But one woman knew Balenciaga very well indeed. The first person he hired when he opened his Paris house (then furnished with only a table and a stool) was Florette Chelot, who became his top vendeuse―as much an adviser as a saleswoman. She witnessed the spectacular success of his first collection, and they worked closely for more than thirty years, until 1968, when Balenciaga abruptly closed his house without telling any of his staff. Youth-oriented fashion was taking over, Paris was in upheaval, and the elder statesman wanted no part of it.

In The Master of Us All , Mary Blume tells the remarkable story of the man and his house through the eyes of the woman who knew him best. Intimate and revealing, this is an unprecedented portrait of a designer whose vision transformed an industry but whose story has never been told until now.

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  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  4. Publication date
    February 5, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0374298734
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0374298739
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Bookforum

Mary Blume, a veteran Paris-based reporter for the International Herald Tribune, offers a peek at the atelier of the haute couture of yore. Blume elegantly weaves vintage gossip together with cultural history and interviews with Balenciaga's last living chums. Like a Balenciaga suit designed to skim the body rather than hug it, Blume's artful blend of history, reporting, and chat conjures the designer's world, if not the man himself. —Rhonda Lieberman

Review

“The wit and sharp eye of Mary Blume have made the French accessible . . . Rather like Nabokov with butterflies, she pins her specimens to the page in full color.” ―Gore Vidal

“[A] penetrating and entertaining new biography.” ―Liesl Schillinger, The New York Times

“Intimate, enthusiastic, and lively first biography of the enigmatic designer. . . Blume, former culture columnist for the International Herald Tribune, writes with wit and aplomb; she was also a Balenciaga client, a fact that clearly informed the revealing and laudatory perspective shared with readers here.” ―Publishers Weekly

“[A] captivating new biography . . . [Blume] rounds out her recollections and Florette's with astute reporting, tracing Balenciaga's--and haute couture's--rise against a richly embroidered swath of social history. . . Despite her impossibly private subject, Blume goes a long way toward illuminating Balenciaga within his own context, finding his scope of influence on par with that of fashion's other revolutionaries, Chanel and Vionnet.” ―Megan O'Grady, Vogue.com

“Elegantly weaving interviews with Balenciaga's last living chums . . . with cultural history, Blume's account follows Balenciaga's top vendeuse Florette Chelot, who provides a keen . . . perspective on midcentury Luxe. Like a Balenciaga suit designed to skim the body rather than hug it, Blume's artful blend of history, reporting, and chat conjures the designer's world. . .” ―Rhonda Lieberman, Bookforum

“Blume's extensive interviews with [Cristóbal Balenciaga's top saleswoman, Florette] Chelot, who stayed with Balenciaga from his first collection, in 1937, to his last, in 1968, yield fresh material about an enigmatic man whose creations--such as ‘the pillbox,' ‘the sack,' and ‘the baby-doll'--are still imitated today, even if his reclusive self-effacement is not. Balenciaga cultists will delight in such character-revealing minutiae as the designer's technique for stirring up impeccable martinis (blot the ice first), his habit of wearing a hairnet to relax his curls, and his maniacal penchant for re-pinning sleeves. Blume's needle's-eye portrait nearly supports Hubert de Givenchy's conviction that his mentor was ‘a perfect man' and almost renders plausible Diana Vreeland's claim that the novel beauty of a Balenciaga show so overpowered her ‘it was possible to blow up and die.'” ―Amy Fine Collins, Vanity Fair

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First Edition (February 5, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0374298734
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0374298739
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 108 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
108 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars "Style is about an invisible promise."
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
Balenciaga was perhaps the most invisible glamorous person of them all. I have always had a secret place in my heart for fashion which is belied by my appearance, but this book really captivated me. Valencia's was the Basque from Spain who personified French fashion. Two things" that one can state with absolute certainty are that he had sinus trouble and that he loved to ski." He was said to be tall. Pictures show an elegant man. He was even rumored to be more than one man like Shakespeare.

He lived in fabled "interesting times" during which the French convinced the Germans that taking French couture to Germany would be bad for the Germans. One of his customers spent her time in jail in a Balenciago gown. One woman escaped arrest because she dressed by Molyneux.

But the detail that captivated me was the story of a dress being restored. The seamstress exploring a straight seam found out that it was curved to suit the less than narrow client. Sigh, I have to swoon on that one.

Balenciago made the press gaga, but was private and resisted. His friends and employees were the icons of haute couture. His fashions were heart stopping. This book contains it all and is written in an urbane, replete, understated form. Eminently readable, in the end you should read this book not because it is about great fiction, but because it is a great book.
18 people found this helpful
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Barbara T.
5.0 out of 5 stars I’m so delighted to have a Balenciaga book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2021
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Just arrived last night, haven’t read it yet of course, but it is a beautiful book, arrived in mint condition and quickly. Wish I had a few of his Dresses!!
One person found this helpful
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K. Lipio
5.0 out of 5 stars The Master of Us All. Balenciaga, His Workrooms, His World
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2013
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For a great master like Christobal Balenciaga, a very private man, not much of his private life is known. Tons of books and references about his great clothes and obsession of the "Sleeves" make him perhaps the greatest designer of the 20th Century. Here in this book you get a glimpse of the TRUE Balenciaga, the man who is working and makes comments on people, clothes and food. The sensitivity and obsessive ways that make his clothes the perfect dress to wear. A true artist by temper and a craftsman by nature, this book tells you a lot about why he is the Great Balenciaga that he is.
5 people found this helpful
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Mike Ellis
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Bio
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2021
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The author really knows what she is writing about. Honest research, original interviews. Not copies from other writers. A pleasure to read. I will purchase more of her books.
One person found this helpful
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J. Schmid
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2019
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Book arrived in condition described. This is a very interesting look at the life of Balenciaga , an extrodinary man.
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RobBos
3.0 out of 5 stars Wanted more Balenciaga
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2013
Verified Purchase
Overall, an enjoyable read.
The main thing that I did not like was that there was relatively very little about Balenciaga throughout the book, as compared to the extraneous, biographical information of several other people. Almost as if this information was just filler. I understand that the man was notoriously private, so I'm sure getting any "meat" for the core of the book was challenging. Perhaps a more apt title would have been, Balenciaga, a Moment in Time with Those That Knew Him.
I would recommend this book if you are interested in the general histories of fashion, Paris, WWII and society. This is why I liked the book.
If you are looking for an in depth biography of the man (presumably impossible,) then I would look elsewhere.
18 people found this helpful
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Glen
4.0 out of 5 stars An informative view into a somewhat hidden personality.
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2013
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I enjoyed this book a great deal. I didn't select it because I had some great love of Balenciaga and his work, but rather because I know him as a style master to the haute societe'. I thought it would be interesting to see what shaped him and what influenced his life. A good book that I looked forward to reading a chapter whenever I could steal the time.
2 people found this helpful
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Iphigenia
5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo Balenciaga!
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2013
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Loved, loved this book. i read it while spending time in France which made the in depth look at the man and the era more exciting. Great info on the fashion industry in France during WW II.A great modern day pop culture writer suggested it to me and he was spot on.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars if you are into fashion, this is a must read
Reviewed in Canada on December 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
Know the man, the times and the society. History knows all.
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Alejandra
5.0 out of 5 stars Un libro difícil de conseguir, que por fin tengo.
Reviewed in Spain on November 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
Todo muy bien, tenía muchas ganas de tener este libro.
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GRP
5.0 out of 5 stars Balenciaga, The Master of Us All.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2017
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I have been interested in haute couture for most of my life and have many books on the legendary haute couture designers, including beautifully photographed coffee table books. Balenciaga is my absolute favourite, but little has been written in any detail by anyone connected to him about this reclusive haute couturier. This book is like a time machine and transports you back to the salon's of Balenciaga, in San Sebastian in his native Spain and of course Paris. You learn about his key fashion influences, his rise to fashion superstardom and fashion innovation, and of his support to other designers like Andre Courreges, Emanual Ungaro, Hubert De Givenchy, and his bitter fallout with Coco Chanel. However, I was most fascinated about life in the Paris house of Balenciaga, the very complex cutthroat hierarchy of the salon, how it worked, the wealthy customers, the workrooms with Balenciaga's uncompromising, meticulous, attention to every single detail, and his lifelong obsession with sleeves. They didn't call him the couturiers couturier for nothing, and his influence endures through today's high profile fashion designers and haute couturiers. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and did not want it to end. A must for lovers of the golden age of haute couture.
3 people found this helpful
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Ben Frankel
5.0 out of 5 stars An Intelligent and evocative pocket biography.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2013
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Culled from the many books and catalogues about Balenciaga, Mary Blume has managed to mine new information and revelation about the greatest couture Master of his Time.
Succinctly written - easy to read between the lines concerning his relationship with his family and especially with Givenchy and friendship with Chanel -any admirer of the Great Man, and of the Couture, will find this compact and elegant petit biography well worth perusing.
4 people found this helpful
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Julie D.
5.0 out of 5 stars A must have book for a fashion student
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2020
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Bought this for my daughter studying fashion and business at Brighton Uni - a read I hope she will enjoy
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