Balenciaga in 2006 exhibition

The Paris Museum of Fashion and Textiles at the Louvre said Monday a retrospective tracing the Balenciaga's legacy - from founder Cristobal Balenciaga through its present designer Nicolas Ghesquiere - would be organised in time for the 2006 July couture shows.

The show, spread over the museum's two floors, will not be chronological, but rather thematic, showcasing archival designs along side those of Ghesquiere, who began his rejuvenation drive at Balenciaga in 1997. Contemporary artist Dominique Gonzales-Foerster and lighting designer Benoit Lalloz, who collaborate with Ghesquiere on Balenciaga boutiques, have been tapped to design the exhibition. Ghesquiere should be well prepared for the exhibition, having dedicated staff in recent years to catalogue the Balenciaga clothing and accessories archive. Every season, he introduces select styles under the label Balenciaga Edition.