Evening jacket

Mainbocher was the first American designer to open a couture house in Paris. He is probably best known for the elegant clothes he created for the Duchess of Windsor. This evening jacket is among the last Mainbocher designs made in Paris. At the outbreak of the Second World War he closed the house and re-opened in New York in 1940.

This short-sleeved jacket illustrates the classic late 1930s silhouette of nipped-in waist and wide, padded shoulders. Other details typical of the period are the turned-back cuffs and wide lapels. This uncomplicated construction is a vehicle for a stunning, sequinned Chinoiserie design. The highly reflective, brilliantly coloured sequins are laid down in overlapping densely packed rows to form a floral pattern. The decoration does not cover the surface of the entire jacket. The glowing colours stand out in contrast to the black silk ground, giving a textured and layered effect.

Lady Beit wore this jacket, which forms part of the Cecil Beaton Collection. Sir Cecil Beaton was a society photographer. With great energy and determination he contacted the well-dressed élite of Europe and North America to help create this monument to the art of dress. The Collection was exhibited in 1971, accompanied by a catalogue that detailed its enormous range.