Semi-circular evening cloak in silk satin lined with silk chiffon, designed by Paul Poiret, France, 1913

Semi-circular evening cloak in pink silk satin lined with a darker pink silk chiffon. Full-length. Gauged into the neck with slits for the arms. Worn with the front facings open to reveal the lining. The edges are piped.

This cloak was worn by Miss Emilie Grigsby (1876-1964) who was a wealthy independent American who came to England from New York. She established a salon which was frequented by writers and the military. She was considered to be one of the great international beauties, with extremely pale, almost transparent skin and golden hair. She was frequently the subject of articles in the New York Times during the early 20th century. Her clothes were purchased from couturiers in London, Paris, and New York, and demonstrated an elegantly avant-garde approach to style. While most of the clothes of hers held by the Museum are from the 1920s, the collection also includes a group of 1910s clothes such as this cloak associated with Paul Poiret, who was a personal friend of Emilie Grigsby.

T.163-1967