Evening dress
In this gown from John Galliano's controversial "Hobo" collection for Dior, extravagant, changeable silk taffeta is whipped into a spiraling
vortex. The naturally stiff "hand" of taffeta and the virtuosity of the Dior atelier contribute to this illusion of fabric come to life. From neckline to train, four parallel panels, each longer than the next, are angled into a body-conforming bias. The gown recalls both the aerodynamic sleekness of the 1930s, in its second-skin fit, and the 1950s illustrations by René Gruau of fabric snaking around bodies and spinning into space.
Here, as in many of Galliano's creations, the merging of diverse sources has resulted in a design less grafted together than cross-pollinated
into a new hybrid. Over the years, whether the references have been to les merveilleuses of the Directoire, courtesans of the Belle Époque, or sophisticates of between-the-wars café society, Galliano has consistently assimilated the styles and sensibilities of the past into convincing contemporary glamour. While his creations are generally apolitical and a historical-the result of an intuitive, primarily visual synthesis-an implicit social critique may be read in this confection of haute couture, inspired by the rag-swaddled image of a Parisian tramp.
vortex. The naturally stiff "hand" of taffeta and the virtuosity of the Dior atelier contribute to this illusion of fabric come to life. From neckline to train, four parallel panels, each longer than the next, are angled into a body-conforming bias. The gown recalls both the aerodynamic sleekness of the 1930s, in its second-skin fit, and the 1950s illustrations by René Gruau of fabric snaking around bodies and spinning into space.
Here, as in many of Galliano's creations, the merging of diverse sources has resulted in a design less grafted together than cross-pollinated
into a new hybrid. Over the years, whether the references have been to les merveilleuses of the Directoire, courtesans of the Belle Époque, or sophisticates of between-the-wars café society, Galliano has consistently assimilated the styles and sensibilities of the past into convincing contemporary glamour. While his creations are generally apolitical and a historical-the result of an intuitive, primarily visual synthesis-an implicit social critique may be read in this confection of haute couture, inspired by the rag-swaddled image of a Parisian tramp.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening dress
- Design House: House of Dior (French, founded 1946)
- Designer: John Galliano (British, born Gibraltar, 1960)
- Date: spring/summer 2000
- Culture: French
- Medium: silk
- Credit Line: Gift of Anne E. de la Renta, 2001
- Object Number: 2001.397
- 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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