Evening ensemble
The dramatic and austere sensibility of this gown results from Christian Dior's choice of a somber color, heavy weight textile and design of the piecing at the front of the bodice that resembles a rigid busk, an element of women's foundation garments from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The elegant line at the waist that transverses the hip however, offsets what might have been an overly severe look otherwise, as does the choice of the light colored wrap. The use of decorative self buttons and tailored self bows are a hallmark of Dior's designs, similar details can be seen in other examples from the Brooklyn Museum collection, such as 2009.300.445, 2009.300.363 and 2009.300.346.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening ensemble
- Design House: House of Dior (French, founded 1946)
- Designer: Christian Dior (French, Granville 1905–1957 Montecatini)
- Designer: (c, d) Salvatore Ferragamo (Italian, founded 1927)
- Date: fall/winter 1954
- 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. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., 1975
- Object Number: 2009.300.965a–d
- 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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