Evening ensemble
Lagerfeld, who has taken the eighteenth century as a Leitmotif of his art and life from residences and domestic interiors, to his fashion, and even to a brief personal whim of powdering his hair, has seized the bravura assertion from the court gown, opening up at center front. For Lagerfeld, the condensed and ironic image is both Versailles and showgirl, aristocracy and vulgarity. Other Lagerfeld for Chanel references to the eighteenth century include the 1980s Watteau-back gowns and the 1985 Pierrot, or Gilles suit derived from the Watteau painting.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening ensemble
- Couture Line: House of Chanel (French, founded 1910)
- Designer: Karl Lagerfeld (French (born Germany), Hamburg 1933–2019 Paris)
- Design House: House of Chanel (French, founded 1910)
- Date: fall/winter 1990–91
- Culture: French
- Medium: silk, metal
- Credit Line: Gift of Mouna Ayoub, 1996
- Object Number: 1996.129a–i
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
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
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.