2017 is set to be a big year for the fashion house Balenciaga, not least of all because the Victoria & Albert museum will be paying extraordinary tribute to the legacy of the brand. For nine months, starting in May, the Victoria & Albert museum will showcase the work of Cristóbal Balenciaga in an exhibition called “Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion”. Featuring his creations in the world of haute couture, the exhibition is the first of its kind in London.

More than 100 garments, 20 hats and numerous sketches, photographs, fabric samples, x-rays, toiles and film will be on display for guests. The items are said to be making an appearance in public for the first time despite there being a museum for Cristobal Balenciaga in Spain since 2011.

The exhibition happens to coincide with the 100^th anniversary of the designer’s first fashion house in San Sebastian, Spain. Another milestone celebrated by the brand is the 80^th anniversary of Balenciaga’s Paris salon.