Christiane De Nicolay-Mazery

If this book is meant to be the accompanying catalogue for the exhibition of Balenciaga's, Venet's, and Givenchy's works at the Chateau of Haroué it must have been a lacklustre affair. The sumptuousness setting may have been the perfect theatre for the works of three of France's grand couturiers, but this slim volume barely gives us a taste for the clothing or the setting. There is little flow to the exhibition, and it really just looks like a random sampling of garments.

Exquisite dresses from three masters of the grand tradition of French fashion whose contributions have set the standard for haute couture. Cristóbal Balenciaga, Philippe Venet, and Hubert de Givenchy are unparalleled masters, and their individual contributions have set the standard for haute couture.