Cristobal Balenciaga (French, founded 1949), Coat, Fall 1950. Multicolored velvet. Gift of Jerome Zipkin.86.142.3. The Museum at FIT 2012 © The Museum at FIT.

Balenciaga was a true sculptor in fabric, a master of cut and construction whose work approached pure form. Simple lines (the product of much subtlety and originality in cut) were executed in luxurious materials - in this case, broken stripes of gray, brown, tan, and black silk velvet. A reserved and intensely private man, Balenciaga has always been fervently admired by other designers and fashion insiders. One of his first admirers, Harper's Bazaar editor Carmel Snow, put it this way: "Nothing can be more mysterious than simplicity. It is impossible to describe or imitate. Simplicity is completeness - no more, no less."

Balenciaga coat,  Fall 1950. Photo by Henry Clarke