Evening dress
Design House House of Vionnet French
Designer Madeleine Vionnet French
Not on view
The circular motifs on this evening dress with straps and puffed sleeves playfully indicate motion. An integral component of Vionnet’s work, both as a motif or as a base structure, the circle was also a feature of her logo, designed by Futurist artist Thayaht. Simple geometric motifs were popular on meisen kimonos made in the 1930s. The dress’s kimonolike construction, based on rectangles of fabric that hang from the shoulder, allowed the wearer freedom of movement. Vionnet collected Japanese ukiyo-e prints depicting kimono-clad women, which graced the walls of her studio. Vionnet famously stated in Marie Claire in 1937: “I have always wanted to be the doctor of the silhouette”; this philosophy runs through all her designs.
On view from October 22, 2022–February 20, 2023
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