Lilas
Cocktail Dress
1967 (made)
1967 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This dress, designed by Jacques Heim for Spring 1967, shows how daring youth styles were made acceptable for more conservative women. A sheer chiffon caftan in a bold painterly print is worn over a sleeveless silk minidress in the same print. Heim knew that the women who bought his designs would not wear very short miniskirts or sheer caftans over bare flesh. Such looks were for avant-garde young people and their boutiques on King's Road and Carnaby Street.
Jacques Heim launched his couture business in the 1920s. In the 1940s he was one of the first couturiers to sell ready-to-wear clothing in boutiques. In 1957, Heim struck a deal with the London manufacturer R.L.Salmon Ltd. They bought the exclusive rights to reproduce Jacques Heim's Paris collections for a British audience. Twice a year, the couture house sent them sketches and materials for Spring or Autumn collections. The final results were approved by Heim before the clothes were sold by high end London boutiques.
Jacques Heim launched his couture business in the 1920s. In the 1940s he was one of the first couturiers to sell ready-to-wear clothing in boutiques. In 1957, Heim struck a deal with the London manufacturer R.L.Salmon Ltd. They bought the exclusive rights to reproduce Jacques Heim's Paris collections for a British audience. Twice a year, the couture house sent them sketches and materials for Spring or Autumn collections. The final results were approved by Heim before the clothes were sold by high end London boutiques.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Lilas (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Printed silk satin overlaid with silk chiffon, and metal |
| Brief description | Silk chiffon caftan mini-length and over trapeze dress 'Lilas' in silk satin, designed by Jacques Heim, made by R.L. Salmon Ltd., London, 1967 |
| Physical description | Silk chiffon caftan mini-length and over trapeze dress in silk satin. Both layers are printed with swirling painterly print in brown, pink, orange, yellow, and black on a white ground. Ruffle around the hem and at the wrist openings. Back metal zipper in satin underdress. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Model |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mrs Naomi Robins. |
| Object history | This is one of a group of Heim garments donated in 1998 along with design books and fabric swatches, some of which directly relate to the garments. They were donated by the daughter of the owners of R.L. Salmon Ltd. This was a London dress manufacturer who acquired exclusive rights to make and sell the couturier Jacques Heim's designs in London from 1957. In most instances, R.L. Salmon Ltd used the French fabrics that Heim recommended, and Heim always approved the end product. This particular design is in the design book dated Spring 1967, ID'd as model number 49, "Lilas", number 3189. |
| Production | Spring 1967 Attribution note: From the Spring 1967 collection Reason For Production: Retail |
| Summary | This dress, designed by Jacques Heim for Spring 1967, shows how daring youth styles were made acceptable for more conservative women. A sheer chiffon caftan in a bold painterly print is worn over a sleeveless silk minidress in the same print. Heim knew that the women who bought his designs would not wear very short miniskirts or sheer caftans over bare flesh. Such looks were for avant-garde young people and their boutiques on King's Road and Carnaby Street. Jacques Heim launched his couture business in the 1920s. In the 1940s he was one of the first couturiers to sell ready-to-wear clothing in boutiques. In 1957, Heim struck a deal with the London manufacturer R.L.Salmon Ltd. They bought the exclusive rights to reproduce Jacques Heim's Paris collections for a British audience. Twice a year, the couture house sent them sketches and materials for Spring or Autumn collections. The final results were approved by Heim before the clothes were sold by high end London boutiques. |
| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.145-1998 |
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| Record created | February 8, 2007 |
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