Evening dress
The dateless quality of Chanel's satin dresses resides in her abiding recognition of the female form. Typically, she employed spiral, arced and crisscross piecing as structural and decorative devices that sensuously aligned with the curvatures of the body. In several versions from the 1930s, arcing planes of satin sweep around the body like a gyroscope. To punctuate the sleek, streamlined sensuality of the designs, Chanel often employed self-fabric flowers, usually her beloved camellias or gardenias. Self-tie bows, a detail she introduced in the 1920s, highlight discrete zones of the body, such as the neck or hips, providing further animation.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening dress
- Design House: House of Chanel (French, founded 1910)
- Designer: Gabrielle Chanel (French, Saumur 1883–1971 Paris)
- Date: 1930s
- Culture: French
- Medium: silk
- Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Maxime L. Hermanos, 1962
- Object Number: C.I.62.44.9a, b
- 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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