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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Fashion, Room 40

Butterfly

Evening Cape and Bag
1951 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This crisply pleated cape is made up from a single piece of black silk taffeta. The lower layer of the lightweight silk fabric clings to the wearer, whilst the top layer hangs in stiff, rigidly sculptural folds. The cape was provided with a silk bag for storage to preserve the pleating.

Matilda Etches is now almost entirely forgotten except as a theatre, ballet and opera costume-maker. However, she was an extremely talented couturier, whose fashionable clothes were innovative and very carefully made. The design for the 'Butterfly' cape was patented in 1953, though this version was made in 1951. The original 'Butterfly' cape was created in 1949 for the ballerina Dame Ninette de Valois, who was the founder-director of the Royal Ballet.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Cape
  • Dust Bag
TitleButterfly (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Pleated silk taffeta
Brief description
Evening cape 'Butterfly' of black silk taffeta with dust bag, designed by Matilda Etches, United States, 1951
Physical description
Evening cape of black silk taffeta with dust bag.
Production typeHaute couture
Credit line
Given by Mrs Matilda Etches-Homan
Object history
This was part of the Cecil Beaton collection, donated by Matilda Etches-Homan. The original design was made for Dame Ninette de Valois, the ballerina.

The original patent for this design was 169,670 1953

The following quote relates to our red & maroon ribbon version of this cape, T.185-1969.

From correspondence of Madeleine Ginsburg to Matilda Etches-Homan, letter written 9 June 1969, following acceptance of the Etches collection & dossier


"The image of our 20th century costume collection has received a great boost through you! For the first time clothes from this century have been chosen to show the meeting of our advisory committee - a honour usually reserved only for medieval embroideries. They are to see the Butterfly cape and the West African cotton dress."
Association
Summary
This crisply pleated cape is made up from a single piece of black silk taffeta. The lower layer of the lightweight silk fabric clings to the wearer, whilst the top layer hangs in stiff, rigidly sculptural folds. The cape was provided with a silk bag for storage to preserve the pleating.

Matilda Etches is now almost entirely forgotten except as a theatre, ballet and opera costume-maker. However, she was an extremely talented couturier, whose fashionable clothes were innovative and very carefully made. The design for the 'Butterfly' cape was patented in 1953, though this version was made in 1951. The original 'Butterfly' cape was created in 1949 for the ballerina Dame Ninette de Valois, who was the founder-director of the Royal Ballet.
Bibliographic reference
Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton. London : H.M.S.O., 1971
Collection
Accession number
T.169&A-1974

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Record createdJuly 17, 2007
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