While there is little of Cristóbal Balenciaga's work that I would consider wearing, that does not diminish the fact that I greatly admire his mastery of the world of couture. He clearly had an eye for fabrics and detail, and was therefore able to put this skill to great effect to create some truely beautiful (if a bit traditional and matronly for my tastes) pieces of clothing. It is too bad that he wasn't born half a century later; imagine what he could have done with recent fabric innovations and techniques, as well as the almost absolute freedom of creative expression that fashion designers can tap into now. ( )