Coat
The great art patron and collector Dominique de Menil was among James’s most loyal clients. To what was for him a surprisingly traditional swing coat he added a charming innovation for her: an asymmetrical collar. The collar was cut narrow at the left and fanned wider at the right, specifically so that Mrs. de Menil could raise it as she disembarked a plane, to protect her face from the wind generated by the propellers. The coat shown here was made for another couture client.
Artwork Details
- Title: Coat
- Designer: Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978)
- Date: 1951
- Culture: American
- Medium: wool
- Credit Line: Purchase, Costume Institute Benefit Fund, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, and Acquisitions Fund, 2013
- Object Number: 2013.367
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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Charles James
ca. 1957
Charles James
1953–55
Charles James
1940–1959
Charles James
1940–1959
Charles James
1940–1959
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