Costume thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume

Theatre Costume
1947 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Costume for a girl in Frederick Ashton's Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, designed by Sophie Fedorovitch, Sadler's Wells, 1947. This costume was worn by the dancer Elaine Fifield (1930-1999) and is likely to have been made for her in circa 1948.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleCostume (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Tulle ground with cotton facing at waist and appliqued detailing in crimson silk velvet. Machine stitched and hand finished. Metal hook and eye fastening.
Brief description
Costume for a girl in Frederick Ashton's Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, designed by Sophie Fedorovitch, Sadler's Wells, 1947
Physical description
Costume for a girl in Frederick Ashton's Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, designed by Sophie Fedorovitch, Sadler's Wells, 1947. Pink dress with close fitting empire line bodice and full, calf length skirt. The bodice and skirt of the dress are formed from silk tulle in tones of pink ranging from pale peach to dark crimson. The bodice, which is not lined, has narrow dark crimson silk velvet shoulder strapes, faced with a band of elastic at the interior and edged with pleated bands of pale peach tulle. The waist of the dress, which sits slightly above the natural level, is defined with a wide band of silk velvet which is in turn decorated with a small bow at the centre front. The skirt which flares out at the hem is formed from layers of tulle in graduated shades of pink with the dark pink overskirt opening at the front to revel the two layers of paler pink tulle beneath. The dress fastens at centre back of the bodice with a vertical row of 7 hooks and eyes.
Dimensions
  • Top of shoulder strap to hem length: 120cm (Note: shoulder strap to hem )
  • Front waist width: 31cm (approximate)
  • Back waist (as fastened) width: 40cm (approximate)
  • Width: 40cm
  • Weight: 0.6kg
  • Weight: 2.5kg
Marks and inscriptions
FIFIELD (Handwritten annotation in black ink on a cotton tape label stitched at the side of the centre back opening.)
Subject depicted
Summary
Costume for a girl in Frederick Ashton's Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, designed by Sophie Fedorovitch, Sadler's Wells, 1947. This costume was worn by the dancer Elaine Fifield (1930-1999) and is likely to have been made for her in circa 1948.
Collection
Accession number
S.652-1981

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Record createdJuly 1, 2009
Record URL
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