Evening dress
By 1951, Christian Dior had established himself as a designer of note. Editors closely monitored his collections, watching for significant changes to skirt length or silhouette for the coming season. For his 1951 collections, Dior reduced the volume of the skirts in his designs and used princess seaming to elongate the body. In this example, attributed to Dior, the fullness of the skirt at the waist is controlled with box pleats that release at the hip. A finished inner mesh foundation provides a structure for the pliant exterior layer of satin. The floral trim at the waist is comprised of a variety of textiles, organza, velvet and satin in a closely-related palette of yellow-green shades. Such attention to detail indicates the garment is from the Dior atelier.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening dress
- Design House: Attributed to House of Dior (French, founded 1946)
- Designer: Attributed to Christian Dior (French, Granville 1905–1957 Montecatini)
- Date: 1951
- 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. Hans H. Zinsser, 1964
- Object Number: 2009.300.347a, b
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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Multiple artists/makers
fall/winter 1961–62
House of Dior
Marc Bohan
1980s
House of Dior
Christian Dior
spring/summer 1955
House of Dior
Gianfranco Ferré
spring/summer 1993
House of Dior
Gianfranco Ferré
1990–97
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