Evening dress
While little is known about the designer of this dress, Raoul Lafontan, the spectacular manipulation of the fabric on view in this example is a testament to his skill and creativity. The pleating of the striped textile to create the skirt of the dress produced an outstanding visual effect of ribbons applied to the surface of the skirt. This pleating technique would have required much time and labor to accomplish. The same treatment at the back of the dress, combined with the shirred chiffon, gives drama whether the gown is seen from the front or the back. These details and the overall quality of the construction of the dress indicate Lafontan was a talented French couturier, however enigmatic.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening dress
- Designer: Raoul Lafontan
- Date: 1900–1903
- Culture: French
- Medium: silk
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Frederick H. Prince, Jr., 1967
- Object Number: 2009.300.3308a, b
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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