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Evening Dress

1935-1940 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Eva Lutyens designed this rippled crêpe evening dress. The silk taffeta ribbon bows secure the sleeves and shoulders together. They hold the dress on to the body while giving tantalising glimpses of the bare arms beneath. The seductive effect is enhanced by the revealing open back. This clinging full-length dress is ingeniously cut. It requires a minimal amount of fastening, with a single hook and eye at the back of the neck. The front skirt, sides and midriff are cut in one. A curved central back panel forms the main part of a small train.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk crêpe trimmed with silk taffeta ribbon bows
Brief description
Evening dress, red silk crepe with plain weave silk taffeta ribbon bows, designed by Eva Lutyens, London, 1935-1940.
Physical description
Evening dress with silk taffeta ribbon bows trimming the shoulders and sleeves of this cerise rippled crêpe full-length dress. The demure bi-coloured bows are tied in neat picot edged ribbons in pastel shades of green and pink in combination with maroon. Open back.
Dimensions
  • Length: 161cm
Credit line
Given by Martin Kamer
Object history
Registered File number 1988/1040.
Summary
Eva Lutyens designed this rippled crêpe evening dress. The silk taffeta ribbon bows secure the sleeves and shoulders together. They hold the dress on to the body while giving tantalising glimpses of the bare arms beneath. The seductive effect is enhanced by the revealing open back. This clinging full-length dress is ingeniously cut. It requires a minimal amount of fastening, with a single hook and eye at the back of the neck. The front skirt, sides and midriff are cut in one. A curved central back panel forms the main part of a small train.
Bibliographic reference
Miller, Lesley Ellis, and Ana Cabrera Lafuente, with Claire Allen-Johnstone, eds. Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021. ISBN 978-0-500-48065-6. This object features in the publication Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion (2021)
Collection
Accession number
T.105-1988

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
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