Coal and Velvet explores the romantic vision and the aesthetic revision that Cristóbal Balenciaga, in his Haute Couture creations, and Ortiz Echagüe, in his photographic narrations of traditional Spain, make of popular costumes. More than 80 works by these two contemporary artists establish a dialogue offering interpretations of a reality, that of popular costumes, which was already becoming extinct in the early 20th century and which both, through works of undeniable artistic quality, give validity and bestow on them a timeless quality. Photography and fashion are united in this context to pay tribute to the popular costume, to its universal values, and to the work of two artists who were able to reinterpret tradition as a source of creativity and innovation.
