Ensemble
After closing the couture house during World War II, Chanel, with characteristic determination, reopened it in 1954. When the first collection was not met favorably by critics, she persevered, eventually succeeding with an updated look that appealed to her loyal clientele, as well as a new group of discerning women. While the silhouette of this ensemble does not immediately identify it as the work of Chanel, the concept (a practical pairing of a dress and a coat with matching lining), details (the turned back cuffs and camellia trim) and black-and-white coloration are signature elements of Chanel's aesthetic.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ensemble
- Design House: House of Chanel (French, founded 1910)
- Designer: Gabrielle Chanel (French, Saumur 1883–1971 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1956
- Culture: French
- Medium: silk, wool, leather
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of H. Gregory Thomas, 1959
- Object Number: 2009.300.261a–c
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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Multiple artists/makers
fall/winter 1987–88
Multiple artists/makers
spring/summer 2009–10
Multiple artists/makers
fall/winter 2012–13
House of Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel
1937
House of Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel
1937–38
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