Evening dress
At the end of the 1920s, a dramatic shift in the approach to decoration occurred. The prior emphasis on lavish surface embellishment frugally transferred to printed textiles, which were fashioned in a variety of romantic permutations. This elegant ombré-dyed silk chiffon evening dress is composed from a fabric that was likely created for Gabrielle Chanel in her own Tissus Chanel factory at Asnières-sur-Seine (formerly Tricots Chanel). The delicate manipulation of the textile is both a testament to its value during a period of relative restraint following the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and evidence of the superior capabilities of the Chanel couture workrooms. From the skilled hands of the maison’s artisans, the bias-cut fabric drapes and clings to the figure, gathering its full width into delicately ruched straps at the shoulders and swelling into soft folds around the skirt hem. Individual picot-edged florets have been backed with net to create volume and strategically appliquéd throughout the garment to further enhance the printed textile motifs, resulting in tactile bouquets that gently flutter when the wearer moves.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening dress
- Couture Line: House of Chanel (French, founded 1910)
- Designer: Gabrielle Chanel (French, Saumur 1883–1971 Paris)
- Design House: House of Chanel (French, founded 1910)
- Date: spring/summer 1935
- Culture: French
- Medium: silk
- Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.128
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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Multiple artists/makers
fall/winter 1987–88
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spring/summer 2009–10
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fall/winter 2012–13
House of Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel
1937
House of Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel
1937–38
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