Plaisir skirt suit
Plaisir Skirt Suit
September 1953 (made)
September 1953 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Christian Dior founded his Parisian fashion house in 1946, with backing from the textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac. On 12 February 1947, the House of Dior launched its first collection. Dubbed the ‘New Look’ by the press, the collection had an instant and unparalleled influence on fashion around the world.
Following the success of his haute couture house in Paris, in 1952 Christian Dior set up a London-based company, C. D. Models (London) Ltd., to sell high-end ready-to-wear versions of his designs to the British public. Originally based in Stratford Place with workrooms in Maddox Street, the first collection of the London branch of Dior was launched at the Savoy Hotel on 10th December 1952. The London collection was based on the Paris haute couture collections but modified for a British clientele.
This suit was won through a competition in the British newspaper Daily Express by Mrs Elsie Rashleigh in September 1953.
Following the success of his haute couture house in Paris, in 1952 Christian Dior set up a London-based company, C. D. Models (London) Ltd., to sell high-end ready-to-wear versions of his designs to the British public. Originally based in Stratford Place with workrooms in Maddox Street, the first collection of the London branch of Dior was launched at the Savoy Hotel on 10th December 1952. The London collection was based on the Paris haute couture collections but modified for a British clientele.
This suit was won through a competition in the British newspaper Daily Express by Mrs Elsie Rashleigh in September 1953.
Delve deeper
Discover more about this object
read
'With Tongue in Chic' by Ernestine Carter
Fashion journalist Ernestine Carter (1906 – 83) cut her teeth in the world of glossy magazines as Fashion Editor at Harper's Bazaar. In this extract from her autobiography, she recalls the thrill of an early assignment: attending the Parisian launch of Christian Dior's legendary 'New Look'...
view
Dior in Britain
A confirmed Anglophile, Christian Dior associated his many visits to Britain with "a sensation of happiness and great personal freedom".
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Title | Plaisir skirt suit (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Wool with silk lining |
| Brief description | Plaisir wool skirt suit by Christian Dior C. D. Models (London) Ltd., Spring/Summer 1953 |
| Physical description | Jacket and skirt suit in black wool with satin lining. The jacket features a square neckline with a wide, square collar. The cut of the jacket follows the recognisable shape of Christian Dior’s Spring/Summer 1953 Tulip Line, which placed emphasis on the bust and narrowed the hips. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Styles | |
| Production type | Ready to wear |
| Marks and inscriptions | '02656' (Number on label) |
| Gallery label | Plaisir ensemble (‘Pleasure’)
In a competition run by the Daily Express in 1953, Elsie Rashleigh won this Dior suit made by C.D. Models (London) Ltd. Entrants were asked to write in with their opinions of Christian Dior’s latest collection, which had caused controversy by introducing shorter hemlines. Mrs Rashleigh was reportedly won over to the new, shorter length when she visited the Dior London showroom to choose her prize.
Christian Dior (1905–57)
C.D. Models (London) Ltd, 1953, Tulipe line (London version)
Wool (barathea)
Victoria and Albert Museum : T.499:1&2-1997
Worn and given by Mrs Elsie Rashleigh(02/02/2019-14/07/2019) |
| Credit line | Worn and given by Mrs Elsie Rashleigh |
| Object history | In August 1953, coinciding with the release of Christian Dior’s latest collection La Ligne Tulipe (the Tulip Line), British newspaper the Daily Express launched a competition in which readers could win an outfit from the London branch of Dior. The paper invited readers to give their opinion on the latest collection, which featured shorter skirts (16 inches from the floor). Mrs Elsie Rashleigh won for her comment that, although Dior’s suddenly shorter skirts were fine for teenagers, they were not suitable for someone of her age (51). On the 7th September the Daily Express ran a final instalment of their Dior competition, detailing Mrs Rashleigh’s visit to the Dior London House to choose her outfit. The suit that she chose, named Plaisir (pleasure), originally came in velvet, but Rashleigh ordered a ‘more practical’ wool barathea. |
| Production | Attribution note: High-end ready-to-wear |
| Summary | Christian Dior founded his Parisian fashion house in 1946, with backing from the textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac. On 12 February 1947, the House of Dior launched its first collection. Dubbed the ‘New Look’ by the press, the collection had an instant and unparalleled influence on fashion around the world. Following the success of his haute couture house in Paris, in 1952 Christian Dior set up a London-based company, C. D. Models (London) Ltd., to sell high-end ready-to-wear versions of his designs to the British public. Originally based in Stratford Place with workrooms in Maddox Street, the first collection of the London branch of Dior was launched at the Savoy Hotel on 10th December 1952. The London collection was based on the Paris haute couture collections but modified for a British clientele. This suit was won through a competition in the British newspaper Daily Express by Mrs Elsie Rashleigh in September 1953. |
| Bibliographic reference | Oriole Cullen and Connie Karol Burks, Christian Dior, (V&A: London) 2019, p. 16 |
| Other number | 1997/9865 - RF number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.499:1, 2-1997 |
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 | August 3, 2007 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
