The pulse rises.

Update: My review of the show appears here.

How could anyone be less than thrilled at the prospect of seeing so many Balenciaga gowns in one place?

Watches have Patek Philippe. Cameras have Leica. Cars have Ferrari. And the most perfect clothes ever created have Basque designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. All marques in a Class of One and not a one remotely practical in the modern world. I confess to serious affairs with the first two, lust for the third and have come to the sad realization that a wearer of the fourth will not cross my path.

The photo for the exhibition at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco, which showcases no fewer than one hundred and twenty Baleniciaga creations, is by the great American Vogue photographer John Rawlings, and if you don’t have the book of his work I suggest you rush out and get it right now.

Here’s how I saw it the other day in America’s finest city:

Poster for the Balenciaga show, Clay Street, downtown San Francisco.

More when I have visited the show.