Ensemble

An apparent consequence of Chanel's relationship with the Russian Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich was her association with the growing Russian aristocratic emigré population in Paris, as well as her interest in Russian culture and aesthetics, which ultimately evolved in the affiliated Kitmir embroidery workshop. The Kitmir fusion of oriental stitching and stylized folk motifs was highlighted in Chanel's early 1920s collections.

This afternoon ensemble from Chanel's "Russian" collection of 1922 champions a Kitmir cornély, or chain-stitched machine embroidery, in a folkloric pattern across the entirety of the garment, which appears as well on the center square of a matching "babushka" scarf. The sheath bears the rare original "Gabrielle Chanel" label, later reduced to the couturière's last name in a large, sans-serif type consistent with the designer’s emerging modernist aesthetic.