The Cristobal Coat
INSPIRED BY CRISTOBAL BALENCIAGA
The Cristobal coat pays homage to Cristóbal Balenciaga. The legendary Spanish couturier was a master of garment construction and pattern cutting – a great inspiration to my work as a designer. The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) recently dedicated an entire exhibition to Balenciaga's design archive and this was where where I came across a coat construction which was not only beautiful but also incredibly clever.
the one-seam coat
The base of the so-called “one-seam coat” is constructed from a single piece of fabric and shaped in a rectangle that is slashed and folded around the body into a loose-fitting coat. This construction uses the full width of the fabric and there is no fabric waste whatsoever.
British Alpaca
The coat is made from a beautiful Alpaca fabric harvested and woven in England from start to finish by a family business based in Exmoor, England. The British Alpaca Fashion Company is home to an Alpaca herd and they produce their beautiful coat fabrics locally in the natural shades of their Alpacas. As the wool is sorted into the naturally occurring shades of Alpacas, the fabrics do not require any dyeing.
Cristobal
Oversized coat with tie belt closure, box pleat details at the sleeve hem and large pockets. Generous in size, the coat is fitted through the waist tie.
100% British alpaca sourced from the British Alpaca Company
Lining: 100% silk sourced from Bennett Silks, UK. Manufacturer to be confirmed
Dry-clean only