La Ligne Libre
Evening Dress
1957 (made)
1957 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This dress was designed by Christian Dior (1905-57) in 1957, the year of his death. It was commissioned by the Baroness Alain de Rothschild to wear for the state visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to Paris in April 1957. Many grand events were held during the visit, such as dinners at the Louvre, Versailles and the Elysée Palace, and also visits to the opera and races.
The state visit was the highlight of the year's social calendar. Couturiers were inundated with requests for evening gowns and gala dresses from society ladies. Lady Gladwyn, the wife of the British Ambassador, commented in her diaries that even the Queen’s dresses did not compare to the French clothes for grandeur.
This dress was originally much whiter but has unfortunately become dirty with age. It is treated with a stiffening agent that means that it cannot be cleaned.
The state visit was the highlight of the year's social calendar. Couturiers were inundated with requests for evening gowns and gala dresses from society ladies. Lady Gladwyn, the wife of the British Ambassador, commented in her diaries that even the Queen’s dresses did not compare to the French clothes for grandeur.
This dress was originally much whiter but has unfortunately become dirty with age. It is treated with a stiffening agent that means that it cannot be cleaned.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
|
| Materials and techniques | Tulle and net of nylon and rayon with satin ribbon, boned, lined with silk |
| Brief description | Evening dress 'Belgique' from 'La Ligne Libre', of tulle, designed by Christian Dior, tulle made by Dognin and ribbon by Guillemin, Paris, 1957 |
| Physical description | Evening dress of white spotted tulle consisting of a strapless bodice with a full-length gathered skirt. The net of nylon and rayon is swathed around the bodice and there is a tulle fichu collar to add fullness around the shoulders, attached at the front. The bodice is boned and has a cream silk lining and there are several white net petticoats. There is a hook and eye fastening down the centre back. The dress would have originally had a long satin ribbon tied in a bow attached to the bodice at the point the fichu collar meets. A light green ribbon was added later for photography in September 2006. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Christian Dior Paris Printemps - Ete 1957 / Made in France 85893' (Label inside the bodice) |
| Credit line | Given by the Baroness Alain de Rothschild |
| Object history | Worn by Baroness Alain de Rothschild during the sate visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to Paris, April 8-11th 1957. Cecil Beaton collected several of the dresses worn during the events of this particular state visit – the Queen’s dress, T.264-1974; Lady Gladwyn’s dress, T.173-1974; and Diana Cooper’s dress, T.50-1974. |
| Production | Spring / Summer 1957 |
| Association | |
| Summary | This dress was designed by Christian Dior (1905-57) in 1957, the year of his death. It was commissioned by the Baroness Alain de Rothschild to wear for the state visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to Paris in April 1957. Many grand events were held during the visit, such as dinners at the Louvre, Versailles and the Elysée Palace, and also visits to the opera and races. The state visit was the highlight of the year's social calendar. Couturiers were inundated with requests for evening gowns and gala dresses from society ladies. Lady Gladwyn, the wife of the British Ambassador, commented in her diaries that even the Queen’s dresses did not compare to the French clothes for grandeur. This dress was originally much whiter but has unfortunately become dirty with age. It is treated with a stiffening agent that means that it cannot be cleaned. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Other number | 85893 - Couture number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.121-1974 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | October 10, 2005 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
