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"Abandon"

Design House House of Dior French
Designer Christian Dior French
fall/winter 1948–49
Not on view

Vogue (September 15, 1948) noted the extraordinary neckline of this dress, specifying the "plunging neckline with side-slanted fold." The asymmetrical gathering of fabric swoops around the neck in the same manner as the 1948 skirts but closes low in the front, exposing an expanse of shoulder. Dior consistently favored scarflike effects to frame a bare shoulder line. Here, he did not have to place linen or other materials in the décolletage; he simply used the natural bunching of silk to serve as an adjustable "modesty" for the deep neckline.</P>

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: "Abandon"
  • Design House: House of Dior (French, founded 1946)
  • Designer: Christian Dior (French, Granville 1905–1957 Montecatini)
  • Date: fall/winter 1948–49
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: cellulose acetate
  • Credit Line: Gift of Bettina Ballard, 1958
  • Object Number: C.I.58.7.8a, b
  • Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

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