Gloria Guinness (1912-80) was a wealthy, elegant socialite and writer. She was voted 'Best Dressed Woman' in the world by Time magazine in 1962, second only to Jacqueline Kennedy.
Gloria Guinness kept a full wardrobe in each of her seven homes, so that she would never have to pack. She saw haute couture as an art form and patronised many couture houses.
She gave dozens of items to the V&A, including pieces by Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972), Christian Dior (1905-57), and Hubert de Givenchy (b.1927). Amongst these famous names were several lesser known labels, such as Marcelle Chaumont (b.1892; house closed in 1953), showing that she cast her net wide in her pursuit of fashion. The gown is made of hand-painted organza, in the yellow and gold tones that Gloria Guinness favoured.
Physical description
Full length evening dress of white organza. The full waisted skirt is hand-painted with a gold design of ribbons and bows. The bodice is finely tucked, it is strapless and is boned at the seams, and it has a gathered frill at the top. There is a side zip fastening. With a petticoat of white organdie attached to the dress at the tip of the bodice and it is also boned. Belt of white organza.
Place of Origin
Paris, France (made)
Date
1949 (made)
Artist/maker
Marcelle Chaumont (designer)
Materials and Techniques
Hand-painted organza, gathered and boned, organdie
Dimensions
Circumference: 88 cm bust, Circumference: 69 cm waist, Circumference: 250 cm hem
Object history note
Designer
Chaumont was trained by Vionnet and inherited her premises and staff when she retired in 1939-40. Pierre Cardin was briefly employed as cutter in 1945.
Donor
Gloria Rubio y Alatorre, better known as Gloria Guinness (1912-1980) was an elegant socialite and writer of the mid 20th century.
Her third husband, whom she married in 1951, was Group Capt. Thomas Loel Guinness, a Member of Parliament (died 1989) and an heir to the Guinness beer fortune.
She was voted second 'Best Dressed Woman' in the world by Time magazine in 1962. Jackie Kennedy was in first place. (See Time magazine Jan 26 1962)
Historical context note
Gloria Rubio y Alatorre, better known as Gloria Guinness (1912-1980) was an elegant socialite and writer of the mid 20th century.
Her third husband, whom she married in 1951, was Group Capt. Thomas Loel Guinness, a Member of Parliament (died 1989) and an heir to the Guinness beer fortune.
She was voted second 'Best Dressed Woman' in the world by Time magazine in 1962. Jackie Kennedy was in first place. (See Time magazine Jan 26 1962)
Descriptive line
Full-length evening dress of hand-painted organza with matching belt and organdie petticoat, designed by Marcelle Chaumont, Paris, 1949
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
L'Officiel, June 1949, p.24
Illustration in advert for Marcelle Chaumont:
Elegante robe en organza blanc orne de motifs peints en or. Le corsage est retenu par un collier de perles.
Vickers, H., 'Cecil Beaton' in Wilcox, C., ed., The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57 (V&A Publications, 2007), p.169 and pl.7.12 & 7.13
Mrs Loel Guinness (1913-80) had an extraordinary life. Born in Mexico as Gloria Rubio, her first husband was a Count Furstenberg, to whom she was married at the behest of the German art collector, Freddy Horstmann. Her second husband was an Egyptian by the name of Fakhry, and her third husband, the banker Loel Guinness. In many ways she was unhappy as his wife, as she loved to party and he did not. She gave an enormous number of items from Balenciaga, Dior, Courreges, Lanvin Castillo, Givenchy, Hellstern and Jeanne Lafaurie, proving that she spread her commissions amongst many different couturiers. Among the 17 outfits, 12 hats and pairs of shoes that she donated were a 1948 Balenciaga evening gown (T.16-1974) of organdie with flack flowers, a 1949 hand-painted evening gown by Marcelle Chaumont (T.92-1974), and a 1950s evening gown by Jeanne Lafaurie (T.281-1974), the only dress by that designer in the V&A's collection.
Exhibition History
The Golden Age of Couture. Paris and London 1947 - 1957 (Victoria and Albert Museum 22/09/2007-06/01/2008)
Fashion: an anthology by Cecil Beaton (Victoria and Albert Museum 01/01/1972-31/12/1972)
Labels and date
Evening dress (robe du soir)
Marcelle Chaumont (house 1940-52)
Paris
1949 spring/summer
Mexican-born Gloria Guinness was one of the best-dressed women of the post-war years and patronised many different designers. This group of dresses by Chaumont, Lafaurie and Dior are in her favoured shades of yellow.
Hand-painted organza
Given by Mrs Gloria Guinness
V&A: T.92&A, B-1974 [22/09/2007-06/01/2008]
Associated names
Cecil Beaton
Materials
Organdie; Whalebone
Techniques
Painting; Weaving; Sewing
Subjects depicted
Flowers; Ribbon
Categories
Fashion; Evening wear; Women's clothes
Production Type
Haute couture
Collection code
T&F
