Evening ensemble consisting of cotton patchwork skirt and sash, cotton blouse and ruff and muslin petticoat, designed by Adolfo, United States, ensemble designed in 1967 and patchwork made in the 19th century.

Evening ensemble consisting of a long cotton patchwork skirt and matching sash, a beige cotton blouse, a black and white striped cotton ruff and a long pink muslin petticoat.

Given by Mrs Gloria Vanderbilt Wyatt Cooper

This ensemble was worn by Gloria Vanderbilt Wyatt Cooper (born February 20 1924). It was donated via the designer to the Cecil Beaton Collection.

Adolfo Sardiña started out as a milliner in the early 1950s. In 1955 he won the Coty Fashion award for his designs for Emmé Millinery. In 1962, he opened his own salon and began designing clothes to accompany his hats. He believed that hats should be worn as an accessory rather than a necessity, and carried this over into his clothing designs. His late 1960s fashions treated each piece as an individual and special item by itself, that could be worn together or separately. Although the principle of American sportswear embraces the concept of co-ordinating separates and a relaxed mix-and-match philosophy, the extravagance of Adolfo's designs sat slightly at odds with this philosophy. Even so, his clothes were popular with his wealthy customers.

During the 1960s Adolfo designed cloaks in felt, richly beaded and braided velvet bolero jackets, peasant-looks, and organdy blouses worn under floral overalls, or with extravagant patchwork evening looks (as here). In 1968, he remarked "Today, one has to dress in bits and pieces—the more the merrier." By 1969 he described his clothes as being "for a woman's fun and fantasy moods—I don't think the classic is appealing to people any more."

In 1970, Adolfo suddenly changed his design approach, abandoning these extravagant designs for knitwear and understatement. He continued designing splendid eveningwear, though practicality was combined with luxury, such as evening sweaters with ballgown skirts, fur-trimmed knits, caftans and evening pyjamas.

- Daniel Milford-Cottam (2010)

Patchwork elements of ensemble are made using an antique 19th century patchwork quilt

T.1&A-D-1974