Evening dress, 1939
Jeanne Lanvin (French, 1867–1946)
Steel-gray silk taffeta embroidered with metallic sequins and pink beads
Technical Glossary
Jeanne Lanvin (French, 1867–1946)
Steel-gray silk taffeta embroidered with metallic sequins and pink beads
Gift of Mrs. Harrison Williams, Lady Mendl, and Mrs. Ector Munn, 1946 (C.I.46.4.18a,b)
This "Cyclone" evening dress by Jeanne Lanvin was worn by her daughter, the comtesse Jeanne de Polignac. According to Bettina Ballard, she was a "soft beauty" who belonged more to the intimacy of the private salon than to public places of entertainment. Lanvin's spectacular creation was featured in the Museum's exhibition Blithe Spirit: The Windsor Set (2002), and had not been shown in New York since its debut in 1940.
