Evening dress
Attributed to House of Chanel French
Attributed to Gabrielle Chanel French
Not on view
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel used metallic lace, lavish embroidery, and beading in her Art Deco–style evening wear to give the illusion of supple knits metamorphosed into metal. This example features metallic lace and sequins applied in tightly overlapping rows by Chanel’s embroidery workshop. The ornament of the dress, in both pattern and color palette, resembles Japanese maki-e, or lacquerware sprinkled with gold and silver powder. The flat, straight construction of the dress evokes the kimono’s two-dimensional structure.
On view from October 22, 2022–February 20, 2023
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