"Eventail"
In his romantic "Aimant" collection, Dior offered the emphatic reiteration of his commitment to the eighteenth century made modern. Here referring to the ubiquitous fans women used to "communicate" at court, Dior raised the waist but delighted in the fullness of the skirt and pronounced form of the bust. The fan's role is one to which Dior would have been very sensitive. The aegis and instrument of powerful and coquettish women, it both conceals and discloses. It was, of course, the rigidity of inner structure emanating from the corset that permitted Dior the license of the strapless gown, just as the décolletage of the eighteenth century was made possible by the shaping of the waist below and the platform of bust support.
Dior's comparison of the cocktail-clad hostess and the eighteenth-century woman denotes the relevance of clothing and decoration to the social function of women during these eras. While clearly ornamented differently, these personalities depended on a superficial facade through which to communicate their respective social roles.
Artwork Details
- Title: "Eventail"
- Design House: House of Dior (French, founded 1946)
- Designer: Christian Dior (French, Granville 1905–1957 Montecatini)
- Date: fall/winter 1956–57
- Culture: French
- Medium: silk
- Credit Line: Gift of Muriel Rand, 1963
- Object Number: C.I.63.36a–c
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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